I am linking up with Amanda over at Teaching Madness for her New (School) Year Resolutions. Maybe if I have these written down I will be more likely to stick with them.....lol No, I am really going to do my best to make these things happen.
Resolution #1: Get more sleep on school nights. I saw some other teachers had this posted as one of their resolutions. I am the WORST at not sleeping and working instead. On most nights I go to bed about 2:00a.m. and wake up about 6 or 7 a.m. to get ready for work. I do this for several nights in a row and then just end up collapsing dead asleep in the recliner when I can't keep up. I also love McDonald's sweet tea which is probably a big culprit in my alertness late at night. I am REALLY going to try and get to bed by Midnight every night and wake up at 7. This will give me about seven hours sleep, which is WAY better than 4. I will try to get to sleep one or two days by 11:00 p.m.
Resolution #2: Stop eating so much junk at school. Our school lunches are the worst to say the least. I eat them on a regular basis, or forget to make my lunch and pick up something quick at QT. My resolution for next year is to PLAN AHEAD OF TIME, my meals and snacks for school so I don't rely on school lunches, and or the vending machines.
Resolution # 3: Incorporate more centers and less lecture time. This past year I did a really good job of incorporating more centers in individualized instruction in math and reading and it paid off. Our third grade test scores increased by 14% from the year before. I am even going to do more individualized instruction and work with each child on only skills they need. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it does WORK! I am not giving my students one spelling list, they are getting divided into four different groups and working on four different spelling lists throughout the week. I am also going to keep more individualized data on each student in respect to the Common Core State Standards in ELA and Math. The students are going to set goals, and document their own progress with my new Standards Management System for 3rd Grade. I also have one created for 2nd, and I am currently working on other grade levels.
Resolution # 4: To use even more technology. I use technology ALL of the time. I can't say that I really neglect my Promethean board at all, as I use it at least 80% of the time in my lessons, student centers, organization, etc....; however, I want to do even more technology projects such as: More Inanimate Alice (which my kids LOVED last year), Animoto reading projects, more video summaries, and more of using Voice Thread and Vocaroo. I am going to continue my amazingclassroom online math facts tests and IXL at school and at home. My kids love the challenge and the automatic advancement and rewards of both.
Resolution # 5: Weekly emails to parents. I always send a newsletter home to my parents through amazingclassroom.com's newsletter templates which I love; but I also want to send an email to each of my parents that have internet access on a weekly basis for them to feel even more involved and connected in their child's education.
Resolution # 6: To hold more info/project/parent/community nights. I would love to have parent night's where students can present their projects/activities/games, etc... to their parents. I want the classroom to be a place for parents and their children to connect and communicate along with become involved. We have a few 'school' wide nights, but I would love to do a grade level evening of activities, possible lock - ins, etc.... to build more of a community and sense of togetherness with parents, teachers, staff, and students.
I have been to my room, but was interrupted with kidney stones.....OUCH! Probably TMI, right? Had surgery today, so my mom is coming up tomorrow and wants me to 'direct' her to do things so I can get more done. I love my mom. I don't know what I would do without her. Excited to be back up to school and out of the yucky hospital. Anyway,
Here are the before pictures. After pictures will come next week, so check back to see the final results.
Resolution #2: Stop eating so much junk at school. Our school lunches are the worst to say the least. I eat them on a regular basis, or forget to make my lunch and pick up something quick at QT. My resolution for next year is to PLAN AHEAD OF TIME, my meals and snacks for school so I don't rely on school lunches, and or the vending machines.
Resolution # 3: Incorporate more centers and less lecture time. This past year I did a really good job of incorporating more centers in individualized instruction in math and reading and it paid off. Our third grade test scores increased by 14% from the year before. I am even going to do more individualized instruction and work with each child on only skills they need. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it does WORK! I am not giving my students one spelling list, they are getting divided into four different groups and working on four different spelling lists throughout the week. I am also going to keep more individualized data on each student in respect to the Common Core State Standards in ELA and Math. The students are going to set goals, and document their own progress with my new Standards Management System for 3rd Grade. I also have one created for 2nd, and I am currently working on other grade levels.
Resolution # 4: To use even more technology. I use technology ALL of the time. I can't say that I really neglect my Promethean board at all, as I use it at least 80% of the time in my lessons, student centers, organization, etc....; however, I want to do even more technology projects such as: More Inanimate Alice (which my kids LOVED last year), Animoto reading projects, more video summaries, and more of using Voice Thread and Vocaroo. I am going to continue my amazingclassroom online math facts tests and IXL at school and at home. My kids love the challenge and the automatic advancement and rewards of both.
Resolution # 5: Weekly emails to parents. I always send a newsletter home to my parents through amazingclassroom.com's newsletter templates which I love; but I also want to send an email to each of my parents that have internet access on a weekly basis for them to feel even more involved and connected in their child's education.
Resolution # 6: To hold more info/project/parent/community nights. I would love to have parent night's where students can present their projects/activities/games, etc... to their parents. I want the classroom to be a place for parents and their children to connect and communicate along with become involved. We have a few 'school' wide nights, but I would love to do a grade level evening of activities, possible lock - ins, etc.... to build more of a community and sense of togetherness with parents, teachers, staff, and students.
I have been to my room, but was interrupted with kidney stones.....OUCH! Probably TMI, right? Had surgery today, so my mom is coming up tomorrow and wants me to 'direct' her to do things so I can get more done. I love my mom. I don't know what I would do without her. Excited to be back up to school and out of the yucky hospital. Anyway,
Here are the before pictures. After pictures will come next week, so check back to see the final results.
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| Front of the room. My Touch Screen ActivBoard 500 I won from Promethean Planet! |
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| New bulletin board; however, it is not centered on the wall, which drives me CRAZY. Maybe I am too OCD about these types of things. Oh well, I will make it look good by off setting it with something else. |
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| This is the back of my room. My computers will go on the back, right tables against the wall. I think I will have three this year. I think I am keeping my tables in pods, but not for sure yet. |
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| This is the back, left corner of my room. I think my reading area/library will go here. The grid on the whiteboard is my behavior system that I LOVE! No clip charts for me. |
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| This is the front of my room where my Teacher's Desk will be. I always put my computer, document camera, on my desk to use/hook-up to my Promethean Activboard. |
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| A better view of the back of the room. There are actually hooks in the back for the students items. This picture reminds me of all of the work that I have to do still. |
