So I am a Teacher, Now what?

It's Summer time!  Why am I already thinking about the next school year and this one is barely over?  Why?  I tell you why, because that is what teachers do. I don't know about everyone else but after field day I started thinking about the new year.

A new year, a new set of kids, a new set of personalities, a new set of learning styles, and it never fails  a new curriculum.

How do I start planning for the new year?    I make list, lots of list.

Things I want to buy
Things I want to do
Things I need  to redo
Things I need to update
Things I want to read
Things I need to create

I always start with my easiest:  Books of course what else would it be.

I began to list the books I want to read and the lessons I want to use them for next year.  So I look for books that fit these categories:

1.  Procedural
2.  Management
3.  Behavior
4.  Content


BOOKS< BOOKS< BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS

Here is  list of books that I choose from and read each year,  I try to read one during morning meetings, and especially the first 3 weeks of school  as I try to  set up rules and expectations for the year.  I read some during read aloud and teach skills and strategies from as well.


The Recess Queen:  - Expectations for recess and Bullying
Molly Sue Melon-     Expectations for recess and Bullying
Mrs. Nelson is Missing- Behavioral expectations
First Day Jitters- building a community
Mrs. Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind-  Reading workshop/book choices
Hooray for Reading- Building  love of Reading
The Library  Card-  to introduce my library
The Librarian of Bazra- How to take care of books
The Best Story Ever-  Writing workshop choosing a topic
The Memory String- Personal Narrative - object/thing
The Relatives came- Personal Narrative- Place and or person
Thank you Mr. Faulkner- Personal Narrative Person
 A set of Amelia's Journals by ( Marissa Moss)- to model using journals:
The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes-  Growth Mindset
Everybody Makes Mistakes   -  Growth Mindset
The Most Magnificent Thing- hard work and persistence
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain-  training your briain
The Day the Crayons Quit-  Growth vs fixed mindset
No Means No- teaching boundaries
Fill my Bucket-
What if Everybody did that?
Nonstop Talker
My Mouth is a Volcano

Multitasking is a teachers job, right?

So, I usually write lesson plans around the read aloud that not only address one of the four areas above but also I model Reading skills/strategies with them as well.  Such as:

Predicting
Summarizing
Inferring
Synthesizing
Asking questions
Making Connections
Visualizing



I also show students how I track my understanding using sticky notes, and journals

Yes this is the easy part for me.  The second major area I work on is using the previous years data to understand what my students are bringing to fourth grade with them.

I grab a spiral and write the students name, reading levels, test scores and placement card information.  I group them by Reading Level so I can start planning small group instruction with the intention of changing these groups once we do our formal testing in the new school year.  

I use the test scores to determine the category that we scored the lowest in and then pull the Teks to see what is covered in that category.  This will allow me to do some preplanning to make sure that these areas are addressed and practiced through out the yea.  As well as,  determine activities that will push the students to the next level that scored on level or exceeded expectations.

The third big thing I work on during the Summer is spending a lot of time reviewing the Teks for the Subject areas and comparing them against the units of study that are ready and that have been  stamped as approved for the new school year.  I want to make sure the lessons cover what will be tested.  I think about resources and activities that will help at the beginning of the year.

The last thing I do during the Summer is read professional books to continue to learn and grow as a teacher.
I collaborate with other educators, attend free on-line seminars and webinars and constantly revise and edit my multiple list all the way up to day one of the new year.

What do I do during my Summer?

I plan, read, revise, edit and repeat.

If your looking for more tips, resources and ideas check out my Social media pages:



www.facebook.com/rhonda.educates.5
www.Instagram.com/mrseduc8te

If your looking for some great products that are easy to implement that will help in monitoring student understanding of text check out my store:

www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/Ready-Readers

So, I changed grade levels, now what?

As an educator,  you get certified  and don't really think about the ramifications of your certification until later on in your career.

I have taught for over 17 years and spent the most of my time in fourth grade.  So when I was asked to move to second grade,  I went into panic mode.  I was use to the older kids and I am not a woo, woo teacher.  All I could think about is I don't blow noses and have no intention of tying shoes.   However, my other concern was how to change my mindset in relation to providing instruction to kids at this developmental stage in their lives.  They aren't as independent as older learners and lack the attention span that I am used to having in my classroom.

So, what is a person to do?

Well first I cried, then I cried some more, and yet again some more.  After the tears,  I had to think about what it is I needed to do to get prepared for my new assignment.  So here is what I did.


1.  I delved into the curriculum.  I pulled state standards for Second grade and began to read, highlight and make notes.

2.  I made a point to grab all the TE for the grade level before leaving for the Summer that I would need to teach with in the new year.  I read the intros and first units over and over to ensure that I understand the learning targets and was able to provide quality activities for students to apply the skills from the unit toward.

3.   I made sure to meet and talk with the Second grade team before the year was over and exchange phone numbers.  We collaborated via email, phone and meet ups during the Summer.  They made my transition easier.

4.  I was informed I was moved because I held kids accountable to and to high standards so to not get rid of all of my personality and attitudes toward what to expect of kids.  So I made sure to remember if I modeled, informed and provided feedback that a 7 year old could do what I asked of them.

5.  I got a chance to get into my new classroom and get it organized


So just a heads up,  embrace the change.  Sometimes we get so comfortable in our current situation we don't grow, we don't keep up with the changes, and we don't realize we are so comfortable that we may be doing more damage then harm.  You know the old saying, " you keep doing the same things but hoping for different results."  Well as educators we need to evaluate ourselves every year.


1.  What have I done to grow as an educator?
2.   What PD is available to help me improve or learn more strategies to add to my toolkit?
3.  Am I too comfortable?
4.  How is each year different from the last?
5.  Am I keeping up with the changes in society and with the development of students as time changes?



I realize now that I am probably stuck and need a change to shake things up.  Yes,  I constantly read and find ways to continue to learn and grow via teacher organizations, social media groups, seminars and webinar offerings on line, but I am still in the same grade.  That one change 10 years ago from fifth to 2nd changed me as an educator.

I have been in fourth grade so long,  even being in a different state then I started.  I am comfortable.  I learn, add to my tool kit, but I wonder am I changing how I do things yearly or do I always fall back on to the familiar.


This year will be different.  I feel with all the changes that I will be able to see if all this self improvement and learning has enhanced my teaching style. I am motivated to step out of my box and explore and do things differently.  So with the new organization of our team for instructional purposes, the new goals and the new  systems that will be in place  I will truly grow as an educator and step into the unknown and out of fourth grade.


Where are you in your educational career?

How stuck are you in your teaching patterns?

What changes are you taking to do different, to be different than the previous year?

What professional tools are you studying this Summer?


As educators it is our job to continue to grow and learn.  It is our job to make sure that we are as motivated as we were the day we started teaching.  If not it is up to us as individuals to do something about t. So I don't know about you but i am ready to step out my comfort zone and try something new;  whether it be  a new grade, a new school or a new position or even a new subject area.  I need to come up with new engaging ways to stay motivated in order to motivate my students.


I can't motivate my kids if I am not motivated.  So I sit here thinking of ways to make things more engaging.

I am moving from self contained back to Language Arts/Reading.  I am constantly looking and reading on ways to make learning fun while meeting expectations.  This year is a wrap.  So what is your game plan for next year?

My game plan is more small group teaching, building a growth mindset, letting Data drive my  instructions, continuous  feedback and progress monitoring.

   How do I plan to do these things?   Stay tuned

So I am in a New Grade or School Now what?

As the year winds down, there were a lot of changes at the school.  Teachers retired,  some decided to stay at home with little ones, some got promotions and others moved grades, even schools.

Moving grades or schools can be scary.  Especially to a teacher who had taught in their previous grades all their career.   Going to a new grade can be compared to  being a first year teacher.  You are starting fresh.  As with all things we need to reflect and make list to help us make the transition easy.


I have several colleagues that have moved from the primary and intermediate and wonder just how different it is.  In my opinion it is very different.  Intermediate kids are more apt to engage in activities independently.

So I  am moving to a new grade what do I do?

First things first make sure to connect with your new team, exchange phone numbers  or make a point to contact each other and get together during the Summer.

The next thing I would do is get to know the curriculum.  Look at your standards,  what is it that students in the new grade level need to be able to do to be successful in that grade?  What are the Teks?  Look at the new grade level Teks and the Teks from the grade you left.  What is the difference?   What is the depth in which they will have to go in their new grade?  Look at the progression of the skills along the grade level continuum, this will give you incite into what the expectation is from grade to grade.  This can help you to plan for whole and small group instruction.

Thirdly,  Our curriculum is on line and accessible to us year round,  so I print off the first units of every subject that I will be teaching, including the assessments before leaving at the end of the school year, so check and see if you can access the curriculum and resources for what your are teaching before you take off for the Summer.  Plan to read and plan ahead, The worst thing you can do is walk into the class and think you can teach off the top of your heard.

Next, make sure to get a look at your new class, what is already their,  what do you need to make it yours.  I literally sketched out what I wanted my class to look like as well as bulletin boards and anchor charts.

Next,  I would  see what  resources or extra materials I need and start a list.  I definitely wouldn't get rid of my current materials.  It is a possibility that I can use them  in my new grade.

As a teacher, we know we always have a range of abilities in our classroom so you never know you may can use some of the things you already have on hand.

Going from Kinder to an Intermediate  level can be more daunting than going from the third grade to the fifth grade.  As well as  going from the fourth grade to first grade.  All I know is that change can be bad and change can be good.  It is your attitude that will determine which. I  often joke about how administrators should flip staff every now and then.  Primary to Intermediate and vice  versa.  It will first give all teachers the opportunity to experience what happens at opposite spectrum's.  I believe teachers need to experience what it is like to teach in a state testing grade at least once in their teaching career.  The pressures are quite different from primary to intermediate grades.  Having taught both,  I have to say although I love fourth grade, If I was given a chose I would teach a primary  grade.

That is why I believe  that schools should do Vertical planning. What is Vertical Planning?   Vertical planning is where all k- 5 grade teachers  or (6th depending on your elementary school)  of the same subject area, pull their Teks and collaborate and plan.  Everyone reads the Teks above and below their level and list what they notice, and then look across the learning targets for a given topic that all grade levels are teaching in a unit and paint a picture of what that would look like at each level.  Teachers would work to gather to plan  prep. look at  assessments,  and discuss what the expectations for student response would look like across the spectrum.  I believe this is the best way to have consistency in all grades so that teachers want be contradicting what previous teachers taught.  This will eliminate reteaching and frustrating students to learn yet another way to do the same skill they have been doing for several years already.If teachers get together and come up with a set of expectations for certain types of skills such as Main idea, or how to use sticky notes, or journals then students want get confused and teachers want spend time reteaching a new method, procedure or routine.  Teachers have to be willing to put in the work and possible extra time to make this happen.

I often compare teaching to lawyers when people start complaining about all the extra planning that is being required.  How would you feel if your lawyer walked into the courtroom without researching and preparing for your case?  The same for the classroom.  You have to be willing to research and prepare ahead of time.  If we want people to consider us as professionals we have to act professional.So what does this have to do with moving grades?  As you move grades you need to be prepared and to prepare we must study.  you will be able to see the different ways in which a similar topic is taught.  I think staying in one grade too long makes you forget you are capable of teaching other grades,  just like you prepared for the grade you have been in for so long, you do the same  for the new grade you are entering.



The more I type the more I realize how I always say I want to move grades, but I am only certified 4-8 here.  So, I plan to take my primary certification, just to have the option to go to the primary grades.  I have been teaching fourth for 11 years straight.    However, I taught second grade for 5 years  after my 1 year in fourth. I was scared out of my mind.  However, when I got their I just realized that if you set the expectations the students will rise to them.  I held them accountable and they did their part.  I was able to utilize a lot of  my materials.  I just modified them for the grade level.   I studied the curriculum,  I asked questions and I stayed late often to continue to learn and prepare. That's what teachers do modify and adjust.

So when  I was asked to go to second as the model classroom for Reading and Writing workshop.  I really didn't know what that mean.  I studied the curriculum I adapted my approach use the same expectations and then realized  just what I had gotten my self into.  One day my principal walks into my room with a schedule and explains that teachers and principles  would be coming to observe me as I implement my workshops.  I was scared out of my wits, but then I figured I must be good at what I do for my principal to nominate for this position.  I became the model classroom for our district.  I went from dreading teaching a primary kids and saying I don't do noses or tie shoes, to five years later loving it.  The other flip side of this is just moving schools totally, Now I have to familiarize myself with the inner workings of not only my new team, but the school itself, the rest of the staff and the administration.  I equate it to moving from my small country town to the big city.  I had to learn something new, but once I learned it I was able to navigate just fine.

Even though I say change is good and needed for teachers to not become too comfortable because then we become complacent. I think after teaching fourth grade for 11 years that I have grown and learned a great deal to become better at being better at my job.  How?  I constantly study and reflect on my teaching so I can stay relevant.  I try to learn as much as I can constantly about everything, just to avoid becoming to complacent.

So, you're  in a new grade or school.  Think of it as an opportunity to grow and learn.
         
                    Here are my Suggested tips

1.  Ask questions

2.  Collaborate with colleagues

3.  Study the curriculum

4,  Make a to do list, 

5.  Gather a list of resources and material you may need and don't have on hand

6.  Don't be afraid to ask for a mentor

The year has come to an end, but no matter where you start or where you end up.  When one door closes another door opens with limitless possibilities.  My door opened this year.  I revisited my blogs and realized just how much this blog applies to me and so many others I have seen over social media sites, or even my fellow colleagues.  Change is inevitable.  You roll with the punches,  so as I look at my new room and my new curriculum.  I start making my list and answering these questions to prepare for my new adventures.  Good luck to you all.  I hope you find something in this piece that helps you be that teacher you want to be for 2018-2019.