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. 

So you're a teacher, now what?

As one year comes to a close teachers are busy preparing for the next.

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?

My Mom is a teacher, Now What?

As the year winds down,  I reflect on how my year went,  I look at students progress, I make adjustment and modifications for next year,  I go thorough all my check list and then the thought hits me.

How often as teachers, that our own families and lives are put on the back burner for the job we been called to do .   I was sitting filling out blue and pink cards for students grade placements and was watching my daughter sit and stare at me from one of my students desk.

As a teachers child, she attend all events whether she wants to or not, she has to stay after all her friends leave for the day, she is often in attendance of staff meetings and stuck in my classroom until I decide to pry myself away from my desk.

I looked over at her and asked, "what's wrong, you ready to go?"  She goes, " Yea,  but I know we can't leave until your done."  She grabs a computer and begins to play games and look at Netflix.  I smile and think to myself what an awesome child.


It is so often that we as teachers have to grade papers, attend professional development, stay late at school and make decisions that affect not only the students in our classes but our own kids.  We take our work home with us everyday.    I really am impressed with how well she accepts what being a teacher's child encompasses.

She works hard all day in her classroom, and then has to come and look at my classroom.  Being a teachers child is a daunting task.  She has to contend with the fact that I know what is happening in the class, I know what she should be doing, I know what is being sent home, I know when she is having an issue.   How do I know all this you say.  She is in the same grade level as I teach.  As if  having a mom as a teacher isn't enough, she is on the same grade level as her mom.  She acts as if she doesn't mind, but I am sure it does.  It has just become the norm for her.


I asked her did she like being a teacher's child she said it was rough.  I found that the kids make fun of her, they call her the teacher's pet because they think she gets favoritism and she has to contend with my actions and words to the other students in the fourth grade.  I often see her go into a huddle and move out of sight when I began to give directives or correct  a student.  It is so funny, but at the same time probably embarrassing as well.  She has to deal with the backlash the next day.  I try remember that.

I love her being at the same school because I have her close and don't have to worry about how she will get home.  On the other hand,  I don't want her to rely on me to step in when she is upset or having issues.  We talk daily about her problem solving and not looking to me to step in or fix the issues.  It started out rough but is getting better.  One more year with me, then off to middle school alone.  I am trying to get her equipped with the skills and tools she will need because I want be there to fall back on like now.

So just like teaching I have to find a balance.  We talk about the expectations for her as a student versus the expectations for her as my child.  We talk about the difference between me as mom and me as the teacher. She sees a part of me that she doesn't see at home.  She sees the firm, no holds bar disciplinarian, who has high expectations for students and want let them make excuses for things.  She says  sometimes I scare her, she doesn't recognize the person I am at school.

I laugh and ask the difference.  She told me at home  your funny, fun and act goofy.  At school,  you are serious and  direct.  I said, "good."  I explained to her as a teacher, I wear many hats, just like at home.  I also talk to her about how sometimes the way I wear the hat is presented differently.  A teacher's job is never done. I also have come to realize that I can't help her with homework,  because I know the curriculum and what is expected.  This causes me to be harder and push her towards the expected behavior when it comes to school work.  I realized she wanted me to be Mommy not Mrs. Lawson.  I had to step back and let my colleagues do the education and I provide the support and motivation.  


I say all this to say,  I appreciate both of my daughters.  The eldest attended college with me and put up with a working mom of two jobs and night school.  She grew up to be a very loving and supportive 21 year old that I am so proud of.  She  will be a Senior in the new school year.  She has been my rock and champion. She helped me to reach my dreams by not complaining about the time she spent in college classrooms, she cheered when I graduated, and she was the best little helper when I started teaching.  She too endured being at the same school with me.  I appreciate my 10 year old because she had endured long days and nights at the school house when other kids are home in regular clothes, watching T.V., outside or doing fun things besides sitting in  a classroom waiting for me to release and leave.

Teaching is a calling,  I get called mom a lot.  I realize now that I am a mom, doctor, counselor, friend, sister and teacher to not just my daughters but to the many students that I have taught over the years.   However, it is the two above that make the ultimate sacrifice.  Thank you Regina and Brittany.


I teach because I love it,  I teach because I care.  I became a parent because I have so much love to give and because I care.  I was called to teach, So I teach.  So Mom is a teacher, Now what.

I Teach

What is a teacher to me?

T-    Totally dedicated to her mission to create             life long learners

E-    Eager to learn with the students

A-    Always willing to be flexible

C-    Cares about the whole child

H-    Helps in any way he/she knows how

E-    Enthusiastic about what I teach

R-    Ready for anything

A teacher's job is never done

It's the end of the school year, I am dreading taking down  my classroom.  What about you?

Well here are some things you could start doing now so you want be overwhelmed  and running around the last week of school.

1.  Classroom helpers-   Get a group of trusted students  to start making  and label file folders  for the stacks of papers that you have on your desk or guided reading table.

2.  Bulletin Boards:  Start taking down the ones that have multiple parts and possibly post a large poster or chart if you just hate for it to be bare.
      As for me and my class, they are coming down for STAAR testing, so It won't be going back up.


3.  Libraries(Reading Teachers)  give a basket  to each students and have them to help you to reorganize them according to the labels on them.

4   Start labeling and organizing math manipulative's, ( I use Tupperware dishes,  and jars)

5.  Start collecting Guided Reading books ( we have classroom sets for our Reading Curriculum and a Book room as well)

6.   Start storing all old teachers  editions in the cabinets.

7.  Place all things you know have to be inventoried or turned into someone in one area.

8.  Turn in all those library resources you haven't returned yet.

9.  Gather all your teachers editions and place them in the cabinets

10.  Start thinking about things you need to work on or read for the Summer and create a pile somewhere in the class.

Create a checklist of all the things you have to do before the end of school year and post somewhere visible.( computer screen, desk top even in the corner of the dry erase board)


So the year is over and you want a break.  You deserve a break.  How about a vacation, whether it is a long one, short one or a weekend.  Get away and relax .  How about treating yourself to a spa day, or a movie night alone, or just go for a long walk to the park and sit and read a good book.  These are just some of the things I will do.


What am I doing this Summer?

I am teaching Summer school.  I know don't even say anything. I also plan to set up my classroom  this Summer.  I know, I know.  Your saying what is up with this chick.  I love to study teks, read books, lesson plans and teach in the Summer.  Well,  I do.  Sue me. I'm weird.  I like to drive the Custodian crazy, showing up to see if he has done my room so I can start setting it. up.  I love to set my class up in the summer because I have the time to do so.  I can set it up, move things around and modify and adjust things.


I also plan to work on creating more products for my TPT store and posting to my facebook and instagram pages.  check them out and follow me for more ideas, tips and resources for teachers.

www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/Ready-Readers.
www.facebook.com/rhonda.educates.5
www.instagram.com/Educ8tes

So, why do I set up my room in the Summer?  If your district is like ours, that first week without the kids is filled with PD.  I might see my classroom 1 hour out of the whole day.  That last day, is our  Meet, Greet, and Peek night where parents  and students come and check out their classrooms and parents get a chance to meet the teacher.  That day is for us to set up our classrooms, but as usual things don't ever go as plan in a teacher's life.


So how do I relax in the Summer?  When do I take off the teacher's hat?


 I go to Arkansas and visit my family for a week or so.  I go and we barbecue, we hangout, I get to catch up with family and friends I haven't seen in a while.  I get to eat from my favorite places.  I can't wait until July to eat some Shot gun's deep pan pizza, to get some real catfish steaks, to have breakfast with my family at I-hop and to store hop with my sister.  So you see.  I will have a Summer.  I just mix business with pleasure.  I create that  balance I talked about in an earlier blog.


So tell me what are your plan this Summer?  Leave me comment below.

So you're a teacher, Now What?

As I write each blog,  I hope to give you a better understanding of just how much work goes into being a teacher, and allows you to see the journey through my eyes.  Every one's experience is different.  My hope is to provide resources, tips,  advice and support to my fellow teachers and to allow others to understand that teaching is not as simple as they paint it out to be in their minds.


If your interested in pictures of some of the things I discussed check out these sites:

follow my instagram page:   www.Instagram.com/mrseduc8te,
join my facebook page:  www.facebook.com/rhonda.educates.5
Follow and view my TPT store:   www.teacherspayteachers.com/Ready-Readers


The school year is coming to an end, now what?

So with everything  we need to do to close out the school year, the state leaders decided it wasn't enough.   We have to prepare the students to take the State STAAR test.   What a joke?   It isn't bad enough that we have people who are not educators making up the test, now they don't have a clue as why it shouldn't be given at the end of the school year. Well,  let me tell you why,   the kids are basically on Summer mode, rowdy, checked  out  and ready for the year to be up.  Yet,  you want me  get them to focus for a state test. I have to figure out how to keep them focused and engaged. So what do I do to get them prepared.  I try to make test prep fun.

 I come up with games, and technology apps that will review the necessary skills that the test will cover.  I allow the students to work  in whole groups, in  partnerships or small groups to review and practice testing strategies.  I come up with challenges that the students engage in to out beat their classmates.  But most of all,  I try to assure them that it is only a test and progress and growth is my goal.   You see,  these kids are overwhelmed and somehow think this test makes or breaks them academically. They are so worried about passing or failing.  As a teacher,  I assure them that progress is the goal and that this is not the end all be all  that decides their academic success or failures.  It's a shame  the amount of pressure the  test  put on teachers, students and parents.  I just wish they would let us teach.  As if preparing for the  state test isn't enough.  I have the end of the year activities to manage as well.


What end of the year activities?

  1.  Grades
  2,  Classroom Inventories
  3.  Paperwork for  Tier intervention groups, tutoring groups
  4.  Professional Development Planning
  5.  Awards Ceremonies
  6.  Field day
  7.  End of the year party
  8.  Library check out list
  9.  Student portfolios
 10  End of year Testing for Reading, Spelling
 11. Student Data cards
 12. End of the year Checkout list  and so on and so on.

But wait,  as if this list isn't enough to do,  I also have to think about next school year.

I have to prepare for Moving Day.  What is Moving Day?


It is a day that our administration set up for  students to be able to meet their new teacher for the upcoming school year.   Even though I have to plan for this day. It is so awesome to have the opportunity to get to meet my future students before the new school year starts.

The students get to spend two hour with their new teachers.

What do we do with them?

I  usually create a bingo scavenger hunt, give reading, writing and math surveys to get an idea of students mindsets about those particular subjects.  I create a power point to introduce myself,  and I may  read First Day Jitters. The students get a chance to ask questions and peruse the classroom.   I also provide them with a Summer packet to keep them abreast of skills needed to be successful in fourth grade.

The end of the school year is very hectic so having 2 hours to  do something different is awesome and almost therapeutic.

 I  have the students  that are in my class, write letters to the incoming students telling them the things they need to know for fourth grade and what they need to know about their new teacher, Mrs. Lawson.  Reading their letters are hilarious.  Every year,  it amazes me as to how the students describe me.   After the two hours are up,  student's return back to their homerooms and we go about our day.  I officially  on this day go into planning for the new year.

So do you still want to be a teacher?
It's a calling, not a job.
It takes compassion, commitment, self reflection, understanding and most of all constant learning and training.

It's Summer time, Now what?

Believe it or not teachers don't have Summers off!  It is amazing how many of my friends think that my job is cushy.  I immediately tell them they wouldn't last a day.  I wake up and get to work before  seven a.m and at least 3 days a week I am there past 5 pm . At least one day  aI am possibly working as late as 8 pm with after school events. Have you ever driven by a school after the students are dismissed?  Go by one and tell me what you see.  I bet you 9 out of 10 times there are cars still on the lot. Those are those teachers making sure their reading to take care of your kids while their own are at home waiting on them.

So do I deserve the Summer off, yes. But, do I get the Summer off.  Not really.

What is it that teachers do in the Summer?

We prepare for the next school year.  When May rolls around, our curriculum designers start updating units of study for the upcoming school year.  I then copy the first units for all subject areas I will be teaching and gathering PD books, resources I can use to prepare activities, I print off subject area Teks to  refresh understanding of the expectations,  and I pull data .  I take all of this home and began to analyze the data first and determine the needs of the students and decide what modifications and adjustments will be necessary for the upcoming school year.  I take anecdotal notes on students using data from the portfolios that are passed down from each grade level to the next to understand how my students process information and learn best. I start developing plans around student needs and correlate it with unit and grade level expectations. This is a rough mock up of what I may use.

A Typical Lesson plan format for me:  I even copy and use as  data form, and a anecdotal note form.

Date: Do now	Materials:
Mini lsesson	Material
Guided Activity	Material
Independent Activity Small groups Mid teaching point share	Materials

Do I do all this at once?  Of course  not I take days and relax and commune with my family but for at least two hours a day,  I am doing my own book studies, my own studying of Teks, my planning and brainstorming of things I want to try that are new or things I want to change up that may not have worked the previous school year.

We engage in book studies that our administration usually assigns for the Summer.  Yet, I love to learn and I really love learning about Reading and Writing I engage in additional book studies. I may sound like a nerd but I love  learning and constantly planning for classroom instruction.  I am constantly reflecting and evaluating my teaching practices. This Summer besides the  book Atomic Habits and the RTI book assigned by my principal  I plan to dive deep into books on Student engagement, building relationships, differentiation and depth and Complexity.  I have pulled all the UOS  Learning Targets we used this year, the assessments we used and the actual UOS Unit 1.  I am  waiting for the release of STAAR.  

I also engage in professional development  seminars our district holds every year,  We are required to get a minimum of 18 off contract PD hours.   Where we get to choose from an array of courses that will inform my instruction and provide  additional resources and information in all subject areas. This year it is called Optimizing Outcomes and instead of going for a week it is only 2 days, and we choose courses that are recommended or that we deem needed to be successful.   I also I find online webinars, and seminars to go to, I listen and study Educational blogs and Youtube channels.  

Unfortunately a lot of us have to take on additional jobs on during the Summer.  You see if you get into the field of teaching to become rich your in the wrong field.  I get in for the joy of teaching. .  So I often choose to teach Summer school.  It allows me to  to help students who need extra support in Reading and /or Math.  Summer school is less tense than the regular school year. and allows for more intimate one on one connections and teaching to the students.  Our class sizes are kept low.  The highest I have had since I have been doing it is  15 kids,  the lowest 8.  

So you see it is Ironic that  I spend part of my Summer doing the one thing I was waiting to stop doing by May,  I teach.  Another thing I spend my Summer  doing is studying the data of this years students to see what  Learning Target was lowest to make sure that we don't over look it next year.  I get the opportunity by July to see a list  of the students who  will enter my class in the new year. I get a chance to start collected data and getting to know them academically.  How do I know who they are you ask?   I get persistent and annoying.  I beg admin daily, I either send emails  or  call until they  are able to share it. Most of them know my work ethic by now and are used to me wanting data before school is over  so I usually get it just in time.   

A teachers job is never over.  We are constantly planning our next teacher moves.  We even spend the Summer planning out how we want our rooms to look for the new year.  We develop bulletin board ideas, buy supplies, yes we by supplies because we are always short.  I look for resources and supplies to create a welcoming environment in the classroom. 

Do I have to spend my Summers doing all of this?  No,  I don't have to.  I choose to and many other educators choose to as well.  Like I said this isn't a job it is a calling. Is it necessary to do all this before school starts? If we didn't do some of these things we would not be prepared for the incoming school year. Who wants to walk in a classroom unprepared.  I equate my job to one of a lawyer.  Would I want a lawyer who opens up case law the day of my  court day, or one that comes well prepared and knows what he/she is talking about? So yes ,  we work in the Summer  and No we don't get paid to do so.  Teachers opt at their contract time to have their 9 month check spread across 12 months or we wouldn't have income for  the rest of the year to survive.

So when do I take a break?

I do manage to relax during the Summer.  I take time off and spend with my girls and my family.  We go bowling, to the zoo, shopping, get our nails done, binge watch movies while eating junk food,  and travel to see my family in the month of July. You see  I am here in Texas with the best family ever.  My school family.  However, my family is in Arkansas.  I look forward to going home every Summer and reconnecting and having fun.  I step out of teacher mode for a while and let loose.  I get to reconnected and catch up on  my daughters lives because I am so focused on other peoples kids during the school year, and feel like I have neglected them all year.  Leaving them to fend for themselves and solve their on  issues.  The guilt eats me alive during the school year . So I work hard to reconnect during the Summer with Brittany now age 26 year old and Gina, my now 16yr old working teen ager.  As a Single parent lots of my time is focused on my job, as I get older and deeper into my career  I realize It wasn't fair to them, so now I do better because I know better.  While I am in Arkansas.,   we visit all the places we miss out on during the school year,  enjoy family picnics, family dinners,  and just hanging out with my sister and mom.  I often get to catch up with my classmate as well. 

However,  once the end of July and beginning of  August hits I kick it into high gear and go to the campus and start setting up my classroom.  I focus on my classroom library first. Once that is set up I begin to set up progress monitoring folders for my students, and really dive into data and make some plans.  So you see were not off for the Summer.  So what do I do?

I teach and prepare future presidents, lawyers, doctors and teachers. What is your super hero power?