Comments on: How much do you and your classroom change each year?

By: sbug232

sbug232 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:26:16 +0000

Every year when the new school year begins, I think I change. Its like no one knows me again. I have all new teachers, and I am with a totally different group of kids. They all have no idea what I was like in previous years, so they don’t expect anything of me. I like being able to change things about myself, that I may not have liked previously, and no one will think anything of it, because they don’t recognize it as a change. Coming in to school this year, I did change things about myself, but there are also some things I don’t change. I feel like this year I haven’t tried so hard to blend in. Last year, I didn’t want to stand out. I didn’t want to be recognized for doing or being anything different than anyone else. This year, I am totally different. I don’t worry so much about what other people think of me. I enjoy saying things that are the total opposite of what everyone else is thinking. It’s good to take an opposing view on an argument, even if that view is “not normal,” or makes me a “fluffernutter” or “oddball.” I have even changed the way I dress. I wear what I am comfortable in, not what everyone else is comfortable in. You don’t need an occasion to wear a dress to school! Lastly, I have changed my way of thinking in many respects. It is hard for me to explain it, but lets just say that I am more self-directed than before. And like I said, there are things I don’t change. Such as my work ethic and my motivation. I motivate myself to learn, and that is why I score well. My motivation doesn’t come from my parents, peers, or teachers. And sometimes I can be too hard on myself(which explains the migraines), which is something I would like to change maybe next year. Having a clean slate each year leaves plenty of room for change, and hopefully each year I will be strong enough to make a change for the better.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:32:36 +0000

As the new school year approaches, I’m planning to continue a major change that I began to undertake last year: narrowing my instructional focus to a smaller number of broad topics.

Around Christmas I realized that my instruction was scattered and fragmented. I was in the middle of my second year of teaching third grade (actually, of teaching anything) and relying heavily on the materials that were on hand (read: I was surviving with the textbooks and associated worksheets). The material was good, in my opinion, but moved so quickly through such a variety of topics that we weren’t concentrating on any one thing. This was true of all the subjects I taught.

Frustrated with that approach, I came to realize that teaching a “big idea” well and thoroughly was better than trying to hit too many smaller targets that most of my students simply weren’t ready for.

Example: when I taught addition and subtraction at the beginning of the year we were all over the place with various topics–this was difficult; after Christmas I taught basic multiplication thoroughly until my students had a firm grasp–this made the “follow on” topics such as word problems much easier to grasp. I know this idea isn’t new to an experienced teacher, but I had to learn it for myself.

The downside, of course, is the amount of work preparing my own materials. The upside is a greater understanding of the material for my students and myself. I guess that’s worth it!

By: Janice Robertson

Janice Robertson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:55:13 +0000

Great question – got me thinking..
I am MUCH more organized and efficient than I was previously. The change was prompted by my board deciding to limit the storage space of all non-administrators. As a result, when I changed schools, I had burned all of my files to CD, and it made me crazy having to insert CDs trying to find the language file or the math or science file I needed. So,, I purchased a big external drive, and I just take it with me everywhere now – home, school etc.
I no longer need to wonder where stuff if because it’s all on the external drive and it is ORGANIZED beautifully. I also got a del.i.cious account so that all my bookmarks are in one place. Prior to that, I had five different computers that I worked on, and the files could have been anywhere. So happily – I’m much more organized now. And if I go back more than two years… if I go back ten years… I used to have a big metal filing cabinet with REAMS of paper; assignments, articles, exemplars…. Man i don’t miss those days!

By: GingerTPLC (Lewman)

GingerTPLC (Lewman) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:17:18 +0000

Since I’m in the middle of creating education precedence (at least as far as I can tell), I change a lot every single year. And I intend to build that into the system of the school. We change our lunch time. We change our start/ending time, based on majority student need, we change our lessons and assessments, I’m adding new staff (and tripling enrollment), and I change how I approach the kids.

There are some things that won’t change: Turning Point Learning Center will always be open to change, growth, and adjustment to what is new and better.

People can talk all they want from their technology classrooms, but until they’re creating an entirely new system from scratch, as fas as I’m concerned, they’re blowing hot air. Paul, wanna move to Kansas? Your girls would LOVE the school.

By: Delaine Zody

Delaine Zody — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:09 +0000

I will be making a major change next year; no longer teaching marketing I after doing that for 18 years. I will be teaching two sections of multimedia which I have never done, nor am I too sure how I am even going to do it. With MACs ( which I love), or with PCs (as it has been done for 5 years). I am still learning the components so will be a student right along with my kids.