2018-2019 Reflection

I think we all go through this.... sometimes (usually in February, if we're being honest) - we feel like the school year is never going to end.   Ever.  And then before you know it, you're grading final exams and wondering where on earth the year went.

This year was extremely challenging for me.    I had a lot going on in my personal life which definitely had an impact on my health as well as my energy.   Who are we kidding... those two go together.  

The first challenge - which sounds so silly - was adjusting to life in a classroom of my own.   I had an amazing para educator, but my partner in crime for over 10+ years ended up getting an office.   We didn't have a fight.   We didn't divorce.    She's a busy chick and our department chair and when she was offered a place of her own, she took it!    It was weird at first, but we ended up doing our Action Research together which meant we spent most Wednesday's together.

The second challenge - learning the ninth graders.   These kids were/are pretty cool but they brought a lot of challenges.    Something I need to reflect on this summer is how on earth to deal with cell phones.   This will be addressed later... and maybe in an entirely new post altogether.

The third challenge - health/personal.   My daughter started pre-school.   One of the kids in her class is pretty much allergic to everything and another kid comes from a home that does not believe in vaccinating, preventing... and in my personal belief... hygiene.   So either Nora was getting sick or she was a vector and getting us sick.    In addition to this, my son was demonstrating some struggles and he was diagnosed with high functioning autism.    Take this, plus the stress of life as a teacher in general, and my father getting pretty sick (was just taken off breathing machines this week!) -- my thyroid decided to take a crap which increased my pain ( x 1000 ) and decreased my energy.   

Let's get the highlights addressed!

• Amazing para-educator.   We were able to differentiate instruction, master classroom management, do centers, and so much more.
• Reading The Maze Runner.   This book was definitely (according to their surveys) the favorite read of the year.   
• Watching The Maze Runner movie.  The kids were blown away at the differences between book and movie.
• Increase in reading comprehension levels.
• Increase in reading fluency levels.
• Increase in vocabulary skills.
• Learning proper writing traits.
• Black Out Poetry (a hit!)
• Prime Time sessions
• Lots and lots of laughs
• Watching students come into my classroom as introverts and growing in their confidence.
• Dismissing a good amount of kids to regular education
• Amazing administrative support
• Writing letters to my students (must do this again!  And again!)
• Being blessed with a new projector apple TV thingie!    It even has volume, ya'll.  VOLUME.
• Amazing IEP meetings - all year!!!!
• TIME to stay late and work at least once a week thanks to hubby's new job.
• Being one-to-one with students having laptops --- saved sooooooo much time ... and paper!

Now that it's summer... I have an official list of things I'd like to work on.   I added to this throughout the year and now it's time to start planning it out.

• I'm curious to do some sort of online journaling with students - even if they write to me in a shared Google Doc.   What scares me about this is that I'm a mandated reporter (and you most likely are as well if you're reading this) and I'd hate to find out someone wrote something with a "red flag" and I didn't see it.
• Now that we have laptops and I know what they're capable of - I want students to have a Language Arts folder on their laptops so that we can take notes, save things, do screen shots, etc.   Work smarter, not harder.
• Notebooks.   Ah... notebooks.   I don't know why this happens.   I don't even know how it happens sometimes... but students need to learn how to use notebooks.   Folders aren't very reliable.   Things fall out.   Go missing.   Etc.   Binders are a dream that turn into a nightmare.  They break.  Get beat up.  Etc.   I use notebooks.   What baffles me is why kids do not go in page order.   Do I have them number the pages?    Example:  I'll say, "Take out your notebooks and turn to the very next blank page."  I'll even walk around and see that the kids are there.   And then some fool will claim they don't have the notes later in the week and they do have them.... like 71% in their notebook when it's only the third week of school.   Things that make me go hmmmmm.
• I want a new desk and room set up.   Even thinking about brining in a futon and coffee table for book chats.   I can't get rid of my desk (sorry, Joy!) - but I do need to also come up with a system where kids don't go behind my desk.
• I want to teach e-mail etiquette next year.   Getting emails like, "Why my grade drop?"  And "hey i did this but you gave zero" = not cool.    In addition to teaching this skill, I want to practice it daily - including checking e-mail and e-mailing case-managers.   This will help my colleagues as well for writing samples and transition planning.
• More book chats
• Have a whole new way of planning for iLit now that I finally feel comfortable with it
• More hands on activities
• Student handbook activity -- will tie this in to the cell phone thing
• Using more library databases in classroom.   Especially culture grams --- because this year I was shocked to learn how many students did not know that Russia is NOT a continent and there ARE in fact seven continents...
• And of course... even more student ownership 

PS:  Teachers do not have summers off.   It's 10:46pm on June 18th... I've been "done" with school since the 13th and I'm planning in my office while everyone else is snoring.