What I Will Do Differently Linky

I have been really bad about blogging recently. I've had ideas, I've wanted to sit and type, but one thing or another meant I didn't. It was this time last year that I started reading teaching blogs and became hooked. This is my favourite time of year to read blogs because of all the fantastic classroom organisation ideas. I found this linky from Joy in 6th grade, which has really got me thinking about what has worked this year and what I need to change. I may still have 7 and half weeks left, but with a wedding two weeks after school gets out, my priorities will be focused elsewhere!

I have tried to organise myself when it comes to papers, but without fail, by Tuesdays I've got a pile of papers on my desk, on counters, and anywhere else in the room that there is an open space. One thing that has actually worked for me this year was creating 'Take home Folders'.

Now I know these look a little tatty, but overally these have worked. I glued two folders back to back. One side was labelled 'Take Home' and the otherside was labelled 'Back to School'. Any papers I received to hand out to students are stored in my cabinet until Thursday. Any work or fliers are put in the Take Home side. Permission forms, book orders or anything that requires to be handed back in goes in the Bring to School side. On Friday students bring back their folders empty and hand any return forms back to me.

I have caved in and bought a teacher tool box! I'm so excited to make it. I do have a desk with 3 lovely drawers, where I can find most things, but am also discovering supplies when I move something. The teacher tool box will be for stationary supplies and the desk will be for .... I'll have to think about that.

I have been teaching for about 3 years, but this is only my 2nd year full time, and my first year in Year 3. It has taken awhile for me to be confident that I am a capable teacher, but I still haven't mastered the 'go with it' attitude. I get super stressed if I don't know what I am doing for a lesson or if my lesson isn't going how I expected. I am going to work on the ability to change a lesson if it isn't working and have the lesson be more student-led.

Okay, I know this one sounds really bad. I absolutely love love love my class this year. Other teachers love my class as well. I tell them how great they, but I also feel like I can be negative at times, especially when it gets to the end of a term. I want to make an effort to be more positive and tell my students how amazing they are on a more frequent basis. I do have a half-term left with my amazing kiddos, so this is something I can start working on now.

Well, another long and babbling blog post. Thank you Kim, from Joy in 6th, for hosting this linky. I love the chance to reflect!

PS: I should have also put in there that 'Next school year I am definitely going to ... have pen pals for my students'. We had pen pals this year and it has been pretty successfull. If anyone is interested in having pen pals for their class next year, let me know and I'll try and get you set up with a class.

Cheers!
Becky