Monday will mark the beginning of my 8th year as a classroom teacher. Though no year is ever exactly the same (in terms of the classes and/or content I teach), one thing does stay the same - each year is an opportunity for me to open my heart (and my door) to a new community of learners.
And that's exactly what happened at Friday's Open House - students came by to see if they needed any books (which, the older ones know, I never give out - I like to think they came by to say hi), and parents new to the middle school were both anxious and excited for the changes that will present themselves to their children this year. Parents are ready to send their kids back to school, and students are, for the most part, ready to come back and see their friends (and maybe learn a little too).
Do I have any goals for the year? Sure I do. I have BIG goals focused on helping the students develop personal relationships with God through regular prayer and through Sunday Mass attendance. I want to get to know every child and help find activities that meet their individual needs. I want to strike a balance between school stuff and my personal/for fun activities. And I want to empower the grade level teams of teachers to discuss and use data effectively to improve instruction and student learning. Don't worry, I have some smaller goals too... ;)
Here are some of the final touches to the classroom - although, my "Just Finished" sign will need to change, as I literally just finished "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" today. (It was a pretty phenomenal read with lots of clues and twists at every turn of the page.) -->
Monday morning will be here very soon. It's time to start the next chapter in my time at this school.
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