T minus 10 days

It is now August 5th. It's 10 more days until pre-planning, and the children start back the following week. I'm looking forward to meeting my new little ones but I'm also feeling stressed because we are in the process of closing on a new home and the closing date is MUCH TOO close to the date I have to go back to work. For those of you who know what the first few weeks of school are like, I'm sure you can appreciate my stress in trying to get in to a new house and settled (hopefully) prior to that day.

However, in waiting for my home closing (for the past 2.5 months!) I've thought about things I want to change for next year. I wanted to revamp my behavior management last year but didn't want to do so in the middle of the year. After doing online research I came across Beth Newingham's website. She's quickly become my hero and I've looked to her for so many wonderful classroom additions for the new school year.

I am going to implement the following:

• Clip-Up Behavior Management chart-I believe it was developed by Jonathan McDade. Follow the link for details. I've altered it slightly to fit my needs but I've kept it the similar for the most part. I created the chart myself using construction paper and poster board. This is what it looks like...

Each student begins on "Ready to Learn" with their pin. Students can move up or down the chart according to their behavior. I've changed "Teacher's Choice" to "Time Out." I've decided that if students have to move to "Thinking About It" or "Time Out" then they have an opportunity to move back up pending good behavior. Once they've reached "Parent Contact" then the there will be no moving back up and a parent notification will be sent home.

Clothespins-If a student reaches Outstanding then they may place a stripe on their clothespin (colored in with a marker.) Once a student has 5 stripes on their clothespin then it can be "retired" to the "Clip Hall of Fame" in which the student will be awarded a new clothespins of a different color (1. Orange, 2. Green, 3. Purple, 4. Blue & 5. GOLD.) Once someone has retired 4 pins then they are awarded a GOLD pin to use. (One that is fitted in glitter.)

• Have Your Students Filled A Bucket Today? -this was a program that was developed to increase "community" in the classroom. I stole lots of ideas from Beth Newingham.
• Class library reorganization-I also stole Beth Newingham's ideas for classroom library organization. She's created book basket labels that help to break down books by genre.

I'm going to take pictures and post them here. I've created some picture documents that go along with these new fun ideas but I've yet to learn how to put attachments into this blog. I'll have to research that!

The next time I type to you I hope to be in my new house! And I'm sure I'll be back to work by then, putting all of these in to place!

School's Out for Summer

I think I was supposed to update this thing throughout the year. It's been almost a year exactly since my last post. Truthfully, I thought about it periodically but somewhere between running around like a crazy first year teacher and not wanting to be too brutally honest about how I REALLY felt about my first year, I decided against it.

As everything wrapped up, the year was pleasant. I had an amazing group of kids whom I miss dearly already! I think about them often over the summer and hope they're doing well. As much as I am enjoying this time off, I am looking forward to them visiting me as 4th graders!

No one could have properly prepared me for what was in store for my first year. Probably a good thing too because I'm not sure I would've agreed to this otherwise. Things did get easier as the weeks passed. I look back and see things I'd like to change but that's all in the learning process. I'm already looking forward to making adjustments for next year. Hopefully I'll actually keep up with this blog! I'd like to add new systems I've implemented and what I find works and doesn't work. If not for my own records, then perhaps for other new teachers.

Initially I wanted to use this blog to tell my funny -first-year stories (boy did those exist!) but naturally, I've forgotten most of them...that and it seems meaningless to go back now to record them after they've past. Almost like standing in a room full of people, trying to tell a funny story, but no one laughs. It's the infamous "Guess you had to be there..." moment.

I had my ups and downs on my emotional rollercoaster. Thankfully, I had the best office-mate in the world to pick me up (and give me a verbal slap in the face when necessary. I needed it... most of the time.!) ;)

If I could go back to the beginning of the year, I'd give myself a great big bear hug and say "It's all going to be okay. Don't waste your time crying, don't stay at work until 8pm, don't stress about not knowing all the verbage and abbreviations BECAUSE your kids WILL pass the state test. You're awesome!"

Not that I think I'm awesome (ahem) but it's an exciting, motivating word. Especially among 3rd graders. They told me I was awesome every day. I'm sure they told their 2nd grade teacher the same. And they'll tell their 4th grade teacher as well. Hmmmm....I need to do more to make myself even AWESOME-ER

So, I promise to try to update this more. Even if no one reads it.

Oh, I just realized...I'm no longer a "first" year teacher. I need to change the title of this blog. Exciting!