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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Some Things I Plan to Implement Next Year

Can I just say, I am so impressed by the number of teachers who are posting ideas, looking for ideas on their summer vacation. Say what you want about us media, but we are dedicated!

My goals for next year: I found some ideas online, heard about in trainings or just plain want to improve on some things for next year.

1) Classroom management-I am reading Conscious Discipline, which I do like certain aspects of. I need to do more classroom community activities. Every year I'm finding more and more kids coming in very mean-spirited for a 5-year old.

I am also bringing back:  Mr. Potato Head-we are going to use it to collect compliments. I find the marble jar takes too long-they need a more instant recognition. So when he's complete, we'll have a class reward.

2) Planning-I am going to try to implement some :

Our evaluations are much more stringent now and we have to show the backward design process and how that ties into assessment. I think that's difficult in Kinder. Our assessments are supposed to be more one-on-one and you can't do something like that weekly. *sigh*. So I have to figure out a way to get better at that. I do have Understanding by Design and will see what I can implement from that. 50% of our evaluations will be based on test scores-we will probably have to create that test.

3) I need to work on connecting with parents better-and if anyone has any suggestions for that I am totally open! I invite them in for some kind of parent activity every month and buy a big box of blank cards to send thank-you's for everything from attending a meeting to working with their kids at home. However, I still had unhappy parents this year-I know it's hard but I want everyone to be happy!

4) Reading The Book Whisperer right now and need to come up with a system to encourage more independent reading. Also hard when most are emergent readers. But will record a bunch of books this summer that they can take home and read/listen to.

5) I'm going to implement an inquiry/project based-learning curriculum. Don't know what that is going to look like yet-but will find ideas.

Just thinking out loud. When I put it in writing, that's a lot to do while teaching summer school! :)



2 comments :

  1. I love your idea involving Mr./Mrs. Potato Head! Last year, we collected "cupcakes" (cut from a border strip) on a "plate" (round, sprinkle paper from Archivers); I put them on a small bulletin board. This year, I need to get the other teachers on board with giving compliments to the kinders. Not all of the specials teachers would do it.

    Parent involvement... I have a separate blog for my class. The link is on every newsletter and under my signature on every email. Today's parents are tech-savvy and seem to want their info presented in an easy-to-access way. But, at the end of the year, I still had parents who had not seen the website. No wonder their children didn't know our memory verses, lol!

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  2. I like that cupcake idea! The other classes collected compliments and knew I would say something if they deserved it :), they'd see me coming and hush each other! I like the idea of a class blog as well. I have a class site, but don't get very many visitors, maybe if the kids were writing the entries...hmmmm. Now you have me thinking! :) Thank you for your ideas!

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