New Year

This year pre-planning has passed in a blur. I am making a lot of changes to my classroom this year and am excited to get started. The first thing I am changing this year is I am going to be trying flexible seating. I love my classroom set up!. I have lowered tables and groups for students to work at. I am trying to make a variety of seating available. I have been scouring the internet looking for ideas. My goal is to allow students to sit where they learn best and help them to be out of the desks for a little bit. It is so hard to stay in a desk all day and I feel that may be part of the problems kids are having. So movement and choice is going to be a big part of my classroom this year. In the picture below the tables had not been lowered yet.

I am also going to be implementing the SEM-R model of reading in my class. Now since I teach middle school i need to do some modifications, so this will be some trial and error but I am very excited about this. I do let the kids read in class and now I have more purpose and instruction built into this time. I think the kids are going to get a lot out of it. So as we start school tomorrow I am feeling better about this year then I have in years. I look forward to helping students start using a growth mindset and making more connections with students this year!!

Year 8

It is crazy to think that I will be starting my 8th year of teaching this fall. In many ways I have grown as a teacher and in some ways I feel I have lost my way. That is why this summer I have been taking the time to refocus on what I feel is important and how to best serve my students. So with that I am excited to share my journey with you this year. I have decided to revamp a lot of aspects of my teaching thsi year. Some of it hopefully will work and some thing may not. But that is ok. I feel if we are not trying new things or growing as teachers we are not giving our best to our students. I teach 7th grade Language Arts in Florida. I have only taught that grade and content. So this year I am going to try and be an adventourous teacher. I will try things out of my comfort zone and what I think will benifit the students. I have done some great professional development trainings this summer that have really helped me recenter myself in this, sometimes, difficult field.