It goes to show you that teachers never are off. The Summer is a time to rejuvenate, evaluate, reflect and plan for the upcoming school year.
As I clean up and declutter my classroom, I find resources to use to improve my craft and become better at being a better teacher.
So what do I have?
How about thinking about classroom management to start with one of the things students struggle with is believing in themselves. This year I came across that so often and not just in the classroom. My own daughter has struggled so much that she gets discourage and down on herself. So I promised my self that next year I was going to start the year of with discuss and
Fixed vs Growth Mindset:
I think it is important that students understand that mistakes are valued and that they have to speak positive thoughts over themselves. So I found resources that describes the difference between the two as well as show it looks like. How will you give students a leg up? How will you inspire your students and your own kids. I talk to my daughter a lot and it seems to be working, but it is an everyday thing. So I thought about my own classroom and realized that if a student has been struggling their whole academic lives, that at a certain point that fixed mindset has become the reality for them. So what do we do as educators and parents?
We create situations and activities that allow them to feel some success,.
We provide scaffolds to help them reach the levels that must be met to be successful
We give the praise for their efforts,
We praise what they can do, not criticize what they can;t do
Another thing that has become a pressing concern of mine is the need to build students vocabulary banks. As a fourth grade teacher, who takes 3 state mandate assessments. I became aware that it wasn't that the kids didn't know the answers, they didn't recognize a lot of the vocabulary. It is obvious that we need to focus on teaching Synonyms and Metaphors to students, as well as do a better job of exposing students to vocabulary. I started planning how to start at the beginning of the year exposing students to words. How do we do that? We have to make sure we create an opportunity for students to Read in class. As a Reading/LA teacher I plan to do just that.
Resources that I utilize to help with my vocabulary instruction:
I plan make sure to utilize my Word Study Block more efficiently. By setting up the materials that will allow students to play with and make words. I plan to use my small groups to do explicit vocabulary instruction. Utilize my spelling inventories to better guide my instructional planning as well.
The third thing that came to my mind as I clean and declutter my room is how to better use the time I have to better serve all of my students at their individual levels. I propose to make more use of a timer, small groups and independent time for students to read and write more in class. I propose as educators that we study our curriculum and determine what they have to know to be successful in the current grade level. However, we also have to look to resources that represents the grade level the students are currently working and utilize them. IF we want to change the mindset of our students we have to make sure that they will be successful. If they feel successful then they will work harder, then their mindsets will began to change. It all goes hand in hand.
As educators, we have to step back and reflect often. What type of mindset do we have? What are our beliefs about how students learn? What are willing to do to insure that learning is attainable by all students? What is our role as educators?
This Summer I plan to make list, to plan, to research, to study, to read, to prepare, evaluate and reflect on just what type of teacher I want to become. After 17 years of teaching, I realize that times change, people change, things change, so I need to keep changing. The only way to do that is through a Mind Shift.
What is your Mind Set?
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