Summer Reading

So, I am reading two absolutely FABULOUS books this summer.  One I just finished, but I will likely re-read it as we get into August and I am doing more planning for the instructional practices in math.  The other I have just started.  I am so excited because I get to do a book study this summer with some teachers from my previous school.  Very smart ladies so I will learn a lot.  They were so kind to share a copy of the book with me and include me in their plans!  I am feeling very fortunate.

The book around math instruction covers how to implement a workshop model into your math block, but more importantly outlines that types of deeper thinking questions you might work with students on in small-group.  The significance of this being that you are then providing all students opportunities for analytic thinking no matter what their math ability.  This is somewhat counter to the way I have been previously utilizing small-group in my math instruction since I was often just re-teaching and giving additional practice with math concepts.  I am looking forward to trying out some of the ideas!  A couple of my wonderful colleagues and I already started the work of talking through the math block for our first grade classrooms next year!

A Busy Start to Summer!

Well my friends, I have the very opposite problem that I had in my first public school job five years ago.  Back then I was coming into truly an empty classroom.  In fact, since I was hired just a day or so before the school year started I taught my first week or so with significantly fewer desks than students and not a single book in the classroom!  This time around however, there is entirely too much!  Perhaps I am more minimalist than I would like to admit, but I was extremely tempted to toss everything out and start the year with nothing like the good old days!  But none the less, the last teachers in the classroom did leave some really nice things and so I am starting the process of going through and determining what fits with my "vision" and teaching style and what does not.  The silver lining is that this will probably keep me busy most of the summer and out of trouble!!!

Goodbye Kindergarten and Hello First Grade!

Well, talk about bittersweet!  Today is my last day in kindergarten.  It is also my last day at Canyon Creek Elementary, the school I started teaching public school in five years ago.  I am all packed up and ready to go, but there have been MANY emotions this last week.  Excited to try out a new school and new grade-level.  Sad to be leaving the comfort of my school and colleagues.  Heart-broken to be leaving kindergarten.  Nervous about trying something new!  Hopeful that first grade and the PACE program will be a good fit for me.  LOTS of emotions.  Cried a little, but luckily I have been so busy with the end of the year there have not been too many tears!  In any case, from here on out I will be posting about first, first, first!  It is my big goal this year to really get this blog going!  Wish me luck!!!