Any concerns or stipulations about this year?

Do you have any concerns or stipulations about this year?

Mine is... just being at a new school, teaching a new grade level, and having to set up the classroom somewhat quickly. How about you?

 

No new contract...negotiations at impasse

 

Finding out test scores from last year
My P's new "brilliant" ideas

 

Working with a new team makes me a little nervous. I know they have their own way of doing things and it doesn't really match my philosophy.

 

mentoring two newbies and a student teacher.

I love to help out other people and having them around to help in the classroom. But sometimes....I just want to do my thing. I guess its a pitfall of having seniority.

 

I have a feeling it may be a stressful year. We have a new reading/language curriculum and I will be mentoring a new-ish teacher (she only taught a couple years about ten years ago before staying home with her kids). 1/3 of my kiddos are on service plans (what we have instead of IEPs at our parochial school) and we have no special ed resources.

Personally, I will be having a long-distance relationship with my fiancee, planning a wedding from afar, and dealing with the fact that this will be my last year at an amazing school that I love (we will be moving somewhere for his job, but won't find out where until spring).

Bring it on!

 

Lots of excitement, as my previous school is "splitting" and half the staff and students are moving to a brand new building (where we'll be about half of the staff and students of the new school). It's thrilling to think that everything will be brand new.

There is trepidation, though--How will we all come together to form a new entity? Will the building be ready? How will the dynamics play out with my grade partners (we have very different styles and philosophies)?

Right now, the excitement is outweighing the trepidation. I'll be working hard to keep it that way.

 

I'm not elementary, but I thought I'd chime in.

I'm anticipating lots of changes next year. Our admin likes to constantly change things up, and they don't always keep us in the loop about the new rules/policies/procedures or what's expected of us. It can be challenging. I just want to get through without messing anything up.

I'm a new department chair, and my supervisor has already told me that he knows that my job next year will be challenging due to difficult personalities in my department. I want to do a good job, support my colleagues, and make my supervisor proud of me.

 

I'm just worried about my after school groups. I have a ton of them, and it's really stressful.

 

I'll be departmentalized and my heart is in self-contained. I'll bloom where I'm planted, but I am still in the mourning phase. It'll all be okay. I am going to miss teaching ELAR though.

 

New school, new ways of doing things, moving in quickly...
Preparing for maternity leave and everything that comes with that..

 

Lots of issues at the Board office, contract negotiations this year ( I am on the team), new grade level (but I am very happy about this), mold was just found in quite a few rooms in our building.

 

Right now my concern is that we have just over 2 weeks left and we still can't get into our school (an issue with the floors). I'm starting to stress about getting things done. We pack our rooms up each year so they can strip and wax the floors. We put everything out in the hall and it all gets dumped back in the center of our room.

 

Two new teachers on my team and one seems a bit inflexible. IEPs this year. I may even be assigned to a new subject this year, but I won't know until August sometime.

 

We are a k-5 splitting into two separate campuses (about a mile apart) this year, so I'm nervous about the complications associated with that. I'm excited and nervous about being in a brand new school! I'm sure there will be lots of hiccups. We've already had to delay our start date.

 

I'm a little nervous about teaching a new, testing grade. I'm more excited though, I think. I'm more nervous about tutoring after school. I'll be tutoring ELA to third graders every other week, for 3 days (Tuesday-Thursday), and my coworker will be tutoring them in math on the alternate weeks. I tend to work myself to death as it is, but my boss is in a serious personnel jam, and my kiddos will definitely need the help!

 

I'll be teaching a new grade and even though I will be responsible for less curriculum (I'm moving to a gr.1/2 EBD self-contained from a grade 1-6 EBD, mild-moderate cognitive delayed self-contained class and all of the students that don't fit in a program), I'm still totally psyching myself out.

My principal is also expecting me to do something wonderful to make the teachers "better" teachers and I really don't feel that it is my job. I pay to go to PD sessions to help myself grow as a teacher (it's not my fault the staff I work with don't want to go to PD on their own time or pay and that my school's PD session aren't usefull...)

 

I still can't believe I'm going to be an Assistant Principal. My learning curve is definitely going to be steep, but I'm ready to soak up everything my district is going to teach me.

 

Yeah, I have one major concern that I can't express here...but yeah, I'm concerned. :unsure:

 

new evaluation system, getting tenured, lots of new teachers on my grade level (so I'll have a lot of responsibilities), new math and reading programs

 

New evaluation system
Reduction in school day because of going to state minimums
I will have 10 special Ed students in a class of 32 second graders.
The special Ed. Teacher will be able to give me one hour of time each day. Unfortunately, she just wants to talk!!!!!:unsure:
Worried about my foot being healed before we go back!!!

It comforts me to see I am not the only one with concerns.

 

We departmentalized last year in 3rd and 4th. All but two of us ended up loving it. I thought it was wonderful. Instead of having one group of wonderful kids I had two. There were many positives. I felt I did a much better job with planning and teaching my subjects. I didn't feel as tired at the end of the day/year. And I got twice a many gifts at Christmas and Valentines. I think you will find its not as bad as you will think.

 

Congratulations!

 

I've been departmentalized twice before, but I'm trying to hold on to the belief that the third time's the charm and maybe this will be the time that I enjoy it.

 

New job, new school, trying to learn from past experiences. Feeling really overwhelmed at the pressure (small town, husband's old school), but also in disbelief at how lucky I am with this position.

 

My principal wants to be more involved in the smaller details... sounds good but I am worried about micromanagement.

 

New job, new school, new district, new state. I'm excited but also very overwhelmed.

 

Oh wow, congrats!!!:thumb:

 

New school, new grade, first year teaching a state-tested grade and being departmentalized! Whew!

That said, I'm also really excited about everything but the state testing.

 

2 extremely bad behavior issues coming into my grade level, and likely my classroom. One requires his own aide because of behavior. This on top of switching from DIBELS and SMI to STAR reading and math assessments, adopting the common core standards in my grade level, a new teacher evaluation program, and a new system for hiring that includes the faculty senate. It's a little much, but I'm going to take it one day at a time. Last year seemed to fly by- hoping for the same this year... I am also concerned about the lack of textbooks. It would be fine if everyone had their own computer or iPad, but they don't. I don't have any SS or Science textbooks this year =( Oh, this is minor, but my daughter starts middle school and I'll be dropping her off and picking her up before and after work/school so I'll be a little more rushed this year...

 

I am concerned about our enormous class sizes in 7th.

I'm also hoping I can balance everything. I will be going back to school 2 days a week, and I also got sort of roped into doing 2 after school programs.

I think it will all work out...but I don't want to spread myself too thing. :unsure:

 

I'm going the exact opposite route. I'll be staying in the same grade, but self-contained instead of departmentalized. Last year I taught ELAR so I'm a little nervous to teach Math, especially with all of the changes they've made to the TEKS. I'm HORRID when it comes to Math - I was in developmental math through college and it's just...bad...

Being self-contained is something I am concerned about simply because I need my team to really work together. In order to make things less stressful, we are all going to be responsible for planning certain lessons.

I'm also really concerned about my new position as lead teacher. While I was flattered that the position was given to me, I didn't necessarily WANT it - not yet anyway. I just finished my first year teaching and now I'm going to be going through a similar process being self-contained. To add a lead teacher position onto my plate was not something I was totally excited about...

 

Major staff changes...new assistant principal.

 

We're going full-out CCSS this year. I'm a little worried I won't be able to customize my usual creative activities around the new curriculum.

My school has a history of scheduling issues and I'm worried that, like last year, I'll still be getting 7+ new kids for the first three weeks.

There's a novel that I am in love with and have taught for years, but due to our district insisting on following the sample unit guides for CCSS to the letter, the grade below me gets to have the novel even though it's still a part of my grade's exemplar texts. (I'm extremely sad about this.)

 

EVERYTHING is a concern for me!!! :lol:

As a new teacher, I'm just concerned about doing things correctly. I'm known to question myself which is a good and a bad thing. I'm concerned about having difficulties reaching all of my students academically and emotionally. I worry that I won't meet the high expectations of my P. I'm nervous about classroom management and about parental involvement.

Yep... I truly am worried about it all, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel so blessed to be at this point in my life, worries and all.

 

-Completely new administration
-First full year in our temporary new building
-Less mental health support people than last year, only 1 for teachers and 1 or maybe 2 for students whereas last yr it was 2 for teachers and 6 for students
-I get to be with most of the same group of kids I was the long term sub for last year (highly traumatized class) but it will be just me as the adult whereas last year it was me and a psychologist and a co-teacher aide full time in the room
-First year of new math program, iPad implementation, Reader's workshop, and more Common Core implementation. I am fine with everything/I already have experience with readers workshop and iPad implementation, but I'm concerned it will stress out a lot of other already fragile teachers

 

Last year it was cliquey. Out of the 7 of us, there were 3 that got along, and the other 4 were always bickering and being secretive. Some teachers have moved on, so I am hoping the new teachers coming in will be professional and want to be a part of a TEAM.

 

I'm worried about living up to expectations in my new role as team leader.

I'm also worried about my group of kiddos this year. If you're familiar with SPED, you know that there can be a huge variance in behaviors and maturity. Last year, almost all (except for one) of my kids had age-appropriate behaviors. I didn't have to worry at all about social skills development with them. This year, I'm getting slammed with autism and other issues that contribute to immature behavior. It just adds another dimension to my job that makes me nervous.

 

Hugs to you, rwu2010.

 

I think that 4 or 5 other teachers (previous grade, sped, reading) went to our P and said that my class was overloaded with challenges. Again. And that after the year they gave me last year, one student should me moved. It didn't happen. I get that I'm good at working with the kids in SPED or with behavior needs. But if you put ALL of them in my room, it isn't fair to anyone.