Progress Check
With my second year going infinitely better than my first, it can sometimes be easy to lose perspective. Every bad day can be forgotten by simply reminding myself, "This day would still be better than my best day last year." It's a nice way to cheer myself up, but not the best way to push myself and grow as a teacher. Of course I would never let one of my more proficient readers rest on their laurels. It's funny how we teachers can sometimes practice the same bad habits we begrudge in our students.
So, what can I do better? My classroom management has come a long way, but is hardly perfect. I would like to be more consistent with rules and consequences. Even though my class set some clear expectations, rules and consequences in September, I notice myself improvising consequences more often than not. Sometimes it feels easier to just repeat a verbal warning than continue along the continuum of consequences. However, I worry if I'm getting myself into trouble with this strategy.
Perhaps more importantly, I'd like to improve my lesson planning. My lessons are definitely well planned and thought out. I've improved my pacing (but could still work on it) and I include opportunities for student collaboration. I even manage to differentiate for learning styles more often than not. That said, I need to expand my bag of tricks and seek out original lessons. While my lessons are well planned, well placed and well differentiated, they are more or less the same lessons week in, week out. It's time to throw some new lessons into the mix if not to keep the students guessing, then to save myself from boredom.
It's nice to revel in the relative ease of my second year, but it will feel even better if I can look back on this year and say I've grown even more.
So, what can I do better? My classroom management has come a long way, but is hardly perfect. I would like to be more consistent with rules and consequences. Even though my class set some clear expectations, rules and consequences in September, I notice myself improvising consequences more often than not. Sometimes it feels easier to just repeat a verbal warning than continue along the continuum of consequences. However, I worry if I'm getting myself into trouble with this strategy.
Perhaps more importantly, I'd like to improve my lesson planning. My lessons are definitely well planned and thought out. I've improved my pacing (but could still work on it) and I include opportunities for student collaboration. I even manage to differentiate for learning styles more often than not. That said, I need to expand my bag of tricks and seek out original lessons. While my lessons are well planned, well placed and well differentiated, they are more or less the same lessons week in, week out. It's time to throw some new lessons into the mix if not to keep the students guessing, then to save myself from boredom.
It's nice to revel in the relative ease of my second year, but it will feel even better if I can look back on this year and say I've grown even more.
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