- Set your expectations from the get go. Life will be sooo much easier and you won't waste time later correcting behaviors that you let slide during the beginning of the school year.
- Share and Take! My first year of teaching, I had an AH-MAZING group of ladies to work with. We shared ideas and took each other's ideas and made them our own. It was wonderful! Then...I got married...and moved...to a tiny school where there were only two 2nd grade teachers. While my colleague was the sweetest little lady alive, she was also set in her ways, and close to retirement. Let's just say, I didn't have anyone to "share" with!! Well...good news!! I now have a FABULOUS partner in crime to plan with and share ideas with and life is good again!! Don't be afraidto share ideas or borrow those of others!!!
- Communicate!!!! Have some sort of daily communication with parents. I use a take home notebook where I stamp the conduct daily, write encouraging notes, and let parents know of any concerns I am having with their child. Keep records of all communication...it might come in handy later.
- Read Aloud to Your Kiddos. It doesn't have to be for AR or even to have a purpose. Just read. You will be exposing your students to so many new words, experiences, and feelings just by opening a book.
- Love! Find one thing to LOVE about each and every one of your students. On those days that they are driving you CrAzY, stop and think about what you love about that child and smile!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Teacher Talk Tuesday
Monday, August 22, 2011
Meet the Teacher
Meet the Teacher
Tell us a little something about you:
I have been married to my amazing husband for just over a year. We have two “kids”…our black labs, Chance and Lexi.
How long have you been teaching:
This is my 3rd year teaching…but my first year teaching First Grade. I LOVE 1st grade so far and am blessed so have such a wonderful class!!
You might not know........
That I am a baseball wife. My husband is the head coach at the high school in the county and baseball consumes our lives in the spring!
What are you looking most forward to this school year?
I am most looking forward to the new adventures in teaching 1st grade. My mom also teaches first, so I am looking forward to sharing ideas with her!
What do you need to improve?
Differentiated Instruction. I hope to implement more centers that reach the needs of the diverse learners in my class.
What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?
Chart Tablets: I love using tablets to make charts and lists for my firsties!
Elmo: I use my Elmo ALL the time! It’s great for doing worksheets with the kids.
Coke Zero: YUM! A little burst of energy to get me through the day J
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Reading Street
The first two weeks were spent getting to know each other, reviewing kindergarten skills, and baseline testing for reading and math. Whew...what a time!! Luckily, I have an AMAZING group of kiddos and they did a fabulous job keeping up with the steady flow of work.