Goal to Self!

Next year I'm going to be better at recording things as they happen. I've had so much reflection this year. I'm a perfectionist and determined to be the best, most effective teacher ever.

We are testing right now. This is a stressful time for teachers. It's good to get feedback on how the students retained what was taught but then it's discouraging as you see some students carelessly or randomly pick answers.

My two goals when I set out this year were: To make sure each student knew I cared about them and to make sure each student felt successful in some way. I have done anonymous surveys to see if these goals were met. Each student did feel that I cared about them but I got some mixed feed back on being successful. I need to spend the summer reflecting more and refining. Teachers could work on their techniques and lesson planning 24/7 and still feel there is so far to go. You are constantly figuring out what works for each student and trying to make it all fit into your limited time schedule. There are days I come home and feel like a complete failure. There are also days that make me feel like I made a difference, these are the days I try to focus on, to recreate more often.

Christmas magic

The last day of school before the Christmas break was like eating sour patch kid candy (which I happen to love). At first, there is a shocking zap to your senses but then the sweetness underneath gradually takes over. I thoroughly enjoyed the day with my students. Sure it was chaos and the students were a bit "high strung", but there was a magic in the air as well. I smiled as one student I have had trouble with gave me a hug good-bye at the end of the day. I hope that in the coming months, this magic will pay off as an investment.

Notes to myself about Christmas:
*Have thank you notes filled out ahead of time so you don't have to mail them (although I think the students love getting a letter).
*Consider toddlers in your classroom when parents are doing a classroom party. This makes for extra confusion and can get messy if there aren't alternate activities available for these little tikes.
*Give yourself plenty of clean-up time and have lesson plans ready for when you come back so that you aren't spending too much time after school ends.
*Plan fun things for the day, things that don't require grading! I loved the students' production of our Christmas reader's theater.
*Be festive!!

Time consumed!

I think for the younger grades (k-2) much of the teacher's time is spent teaching students how to read. The upper grades are different. Much of the teacher's time is spent teaching writing. I really wish they would go hand in hand and I feel strongly that they should but in my district, this is not the case. Because of this, I am really struggling with some students ability to write. Grading their writing is also very time consuming and difficult. You don't want to totally destroy their work of art but at the same time, teaching proper grammer is essential.

Something I have learned is that teaching a student to write and properly express themselves is a MUST! Teachers can gain some insight by reading their student's writings. Their personalities and personal conflicts are often reflected in their writing. It is enlightening.

I am going to spend the month of Jan. getting my students comfortable with their own writing abilities. I hope I can be creative in encouraging them properly and more important, I hope I can see a growth in their abilities.

Helpful Hint

Note to myself:

Plan something light with little or no grading on the day before a holiday break. I made note of this as I left the lonely, dark school on Tues. night at 5:30 PM. The other teachers had gone long ago. They are wise to plan something easy and simple then be prepared in advance for the following Monday! I had 26 writing journals to correct. This is a daunting task as anyone who has graded student writing knows. Such a vast variety of skills and need. It is my personal goal to transform all of my students into good authors. I hope it works!

Next year . . . I will be leaving with the other teachers!

The Noble Profession

I have been wanting to keep a journal about my teaching experiences but haven't taken the time. I figure this is as good a method as any and perhaps it may reach out to some unknown person who can relate? I hope so.

I greatly regret not having started this blog from the beginning of my hire date. The feelings that I have experienced and the thoughts that I have had are all lost to what I call my "random memory". They will maybe return to me at odd times (that is IF I'm lucky), then again . . . some of the memories are best left to "randomness".

This week I have learned an important lesson about teaching but I think it applies to any profession or walk of life. I learned that although you may strongly believe in something and fight for what it is you believe in, fate (or conspiring individuals) may have a different outcome in mind for you. After weeks of hearing teacher and parent concerns over whether to change our school back into a K-5, the debate was settled. Despite the overwhelming results in favor of keeping the status quo, the school board decided to weild their authority and discard any of the feedback. They voted for the change. I stand confused, frustrated, and a bit angry. Do we have a voice? I wasn't against change but am very confused and full of mistrust by the way things were handled. Why ask my opinion if it really doesn't matter? I am saavy to the saying "Don't bite the hand that feeds you" so I will file this and go with the changes but it was an eye opener for who holds the power in the field of education and parents - it is NOT you and teachers, it is NOT you. Cynical I am, this is hopefully not a permanent attribute I will gain as a teacher.