So we had our last day with students and I thought I would be more emotional. I taught these kiddos for 2 years and watched them grow not only academically but social-emotionally as well. When the regulations for our classrooms to protect from Covid were announced, I couldn't even envision how this would work. No books, no workstations, no collaborating in groups. Students would have to stay apart from each other and wear masks. But these kids were such troopers-they followed the rules without complaint.
Reflecting on this year I do have some things we did that I will keep in my practice. I loved using Pear Deck and Blooket-will continue to integrate those. Pear Deck I will even use to record activities for a sub in the future.
Virtual field trips-we went somewhere every Friday afternoon. My students learned about other cultures and even chose countries on the map they wanted to learn more about. They can still identify many of the flags. We also went to museums and planetariums. This I will continue with future classes.
The district had us begin our day focusing on SEL skills. I read stories that dealt with empathy, anger management, mindset, how to be a good listener. I could see the students really putting those tools into practice in their daily lives.
Parent meetings on Teams-I think it was good for parents to be able to login from anywhere and still attend our meetings. I plan to continue this.
I was always that student who worked hard for A's in school. I still have that mindset when it comes to evaluations. I worked harder this year than I have ever worked and got the worst evaluations of my career-and I have come to terms with the fact that what my administrators are looking for is not always what is best for my students-and I will always side with what is best for my students. Half my 1st grade class could already pass the 2nd grade high frequency word test. My kids learned a lot this year!
How did your year go? What things will you keep in your practice for upcoming years?
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