I'm trying to figure out how much progress I am making. I feel a little more prepared than my first two years, but I feel like I'm more prepared in some things, and less in others, if that makes sense? i.e. I had daily plans with all of my materials created for at least 3 weeks last year. I just have broad plans and most materials created but some still need to be made this year. However I have a LOT more materials related to binder organization, lab notebooks, and other routines. I don't feel as if the reality is hitting yet. (especially because I'm still locked out of my classroom)
I have done nothing. Wait, that's not true. I did pick up my keys last week. I didn't even go into my classroom at all, though.
Nothing. PD starts on Tuesday and school starts the following Monday. I will begin working when I go back to school for PD on Tuesday. Now, I have bought lots of school supplies since it is tax-free week.
Some years I feel super organized and prepared in my classroom set-up. Some years it is lesson planning. Some years it is something else. Unfortunately, it seems like an unrealistic goal to be super at everything at the same time. Does anyone else feel that way? This may be my last year at a job and school I love because we may have to move out of state for my husband's work. I thought I would be super motivated but I am having a hard time getting it into gear. I keep saying, "this may be the last time I ......" and I think I am avoiding those things that make me emotional. I hope I am not doing the counting of days or detachment I have seen some people do before retirement.
We had our first week and I was really unprepared. My summer went by really fast and it wasn't until the 2 weeks before I really started thinking about anything. This year I'm teaching 3 preps, last year I did 2 in the first semester and it was really just 1 in the spring. Huge difference. So of course I was prepared with plans and ideas for most of the first week, I only had specifics for the first 2 days. I did everything else as I went along, so I'm already playing catch up. I don't mind though, I went to a Kagan workshop this summer and I'm trying out the strategies, so I know it's going to be a lot of adjusting, so planning way ahead might just mean I have to redo everything. I do want to catch up this weekend and be at least 1 week ahead.
I have checked my school email for announcements about Convocation (which is good because I'm apparently doing a couple of things that required a heads up), uploaded stuff to my tablet, and checked my roster. Oh, and I've talked with my principal and curriculum coordinator about strategies to enrich / extend the semester-long lesson plans to full year. Okay, I've been a little busy.
I didn't do one so gle school-related thing over the summer until time to put my room together. I even spend less time on that than I do some years. I'm two weeks into the year with students, and everything is going as well as it does when I kill myself all summer getting things together.
August and September calendars are tentatively done. Year at a glance is done. Syllabus and parent letters are done. First couple weeks of handouts and things are tweaked. My two SLO pre-tests are done. I need to make copies of everything. Kids come Wednesdays.
I have nothing done. I don't know what grade level I'm teaching yet, don't know what my co-teacher has planned already. I will find out my grade level 1 week out, and I'm hoping that it won't be a maternity leave sub. I don't want to start in a new classroom at a new school with someone else who is new, too!
OK you are my idol. With planning a new course this summer I totally forgot about SLOs!!! Guess I will look at getting those done in the first few weeks of school. More copies to make.
I've decided what sped books I need now and what can wait a month, I've packed....but not loaded the car, I've noted a hotel for three days, and nothing else! Freaking out a bit. I don't even have any idea of what to put into my patent info packet on how I will run my self contained classroom. I feel so unprepared, it's why I am leaving on Sunday...rather than waiting until the contract is written. I have been told it's being done now, but I can't wait until it is done to leave.
Its hit and miss. In my classroom the only thing I have done is set up the tables and chairs, scrubbed shelves and tables and laminated some things to hang up (I didn't cut them out). On the other hand, I did organize the first kindergarten screening that my school has had in many years so that was huge and time consuming. Then I'm trying to settle into my role as grade level chair as well and prepare our first meeting. We have 5 new teachers to the team of 8.... so we have some team building to do. So I guess in a sense I have been busy, just not necessarily in my classroom.
My classroom is completely ready, and my first two weeks of lessons are done. I just need to transfer digital files to our online "learning management system", and I'll be ready! Kids come August 25th, but teachers officially start Tuesday.
Tomorrow is the first day with kids! I'm ready. Syllabus written, first week copies are run, first week plans are done. My school had AWESOME energy during our PD week. It's going to be a great year!!!
The kids' first day is tomorrow. We had pre-planning all last week, but I probably spent 15 hours working in my classroom the week before. I spent almost a whole day reorganizing my library and leveling a ton of books and set up my classroom with a completely new theme. I'm glad I spent all of that extra time working before pre-planning began, because I still felt stressed about finishing everything by the end!
I have already been teaching for 8 days! I just finished doing the Basic Phonics/Reading test with each kid and will start running records on Monday. I had back-to-school on Wednesday. It was my 20th Back-to-School! My Spanish speaking parents even gave me a round of applause when I finished the Spanish presentation Only 172 more days until summer.:lol:
I have one week before in-service starts (although I don't technically have to go in on Monday or Tuesday). What I'm planning to do this week: 1) Finish the summer reading book my P chose for us (on bullying) 2) Continue working on the 3rd and 4th grade science curriculum 3) Write/edit parent letters 4) Plan my first cycle's worth of lessons- mostly setting up science notebooks, going over safety rules, and a fun science experiment to get them back into things. (I'll have to purchase some supplies for these activities and make copies of the lab packets once I get back) 5) Write a mid-term report for our Middle States "Communications" team
Kids started on July 21st but I've been on maternity leave. I go back on Monday the 25th. I have my curriculum map done for the year and the first 2 weeks of lessons almost done for my return. I need to find out where the sub is leaving off to finish my plans. I'm nervous because my first eval is only 3 weeks after my return. Eek.
I'm a new teacher, at a school with mostly new teachers. My kids start next Monday and we have open house this Friday. I am working on bulletin boards and organizing... I can't really plan for the curriculum because it all changed this year, so even the returning teachers don't know what we're expected to do yet. I'm also trying to develop a solid classroom management plan, and have a lot of that mapped out already.