Reflections on my First Year!

I just realized that my first year teaching is drawing to a close. It's really been such an awesome year for me. Definately not as hard as I thought it would be. I love teaching, I love my students, and actually look forward to going to work each day. I've learned I'm super organized and waste very little time in the classroom. My students were laughing at me yesterday while I was straightening/filing before we got the news. They said I had one of the neatest classrooms and missed all the pretty stuff I had on the wall - since we had to cover everything for TAKS.

Here are some things I've learned about myself, my students, and just education this year.

• 45 minutes with your students goes by too fast when you've done good lesson plans.
• 45 minutes is excruciatingly long when they've been testing all day, and are zonked...
• I don't always follow my lesson plans, and I'm better "winging it".
• Having lesson plans is crucial, b/c it gets you thinking of timelines, and keeps you focused on one thing at a time.
• Students like a neat classroom.
• I like a neat classroom.
• I'm craftier than I thought- I've handmade/drawn a huge palm tree and coconuts for a CAY word wall. (an island story we read)
• I didn't have to go out and spend a fortune on posters/inspirational sayings at the Learning Store. My kids would rather see their stories/drawings, and my own handmade decor up.
• Kids listen better with visuals.
• Stories aren't just for little kids.
• I'm great at making the kids laugh.
• I've actually stood on top of a desk this year to illustrate a point - the kids loved it.
• Knowing my kids helps me teach them.
• I will miss them.
• Tapping on desks or "drumming" drives me to the brink of insanity - and is one of the few times I raise my voice in the classroom. (and...BTW... it's impossible to ignore. I've tried and they just get louder)
• Students just don't get enough attention from their parents.
• Remembering how I was in 7th grade helps me keep perspective.
• Hygeine is important!
• Germ X is essential, but also must be hidden when I have a sub.
• I fuss at the kids for using my board markers, but I do secretly love their proclamations of love on my whiteboard.
• I hang every "I love Mrs. S" drawing, or piece of poetry/artwork they bring me.
  Christmas is fun - I get presents! :-)
• I wish I had money to buy all 70 of my kids something they'd never forget.
• Dare I say I got as much or more from my kids as they got from me?
• 7th graders are GIANT affectionate "monitor-every-second" toddlers.
• Self-control must be taught.
• I'm a creative teacher - Don't put me in a box!
• If I'm not laughing or getting my kids to laugh - none of us are having a very good day.
• Seeing my kids fight over a book at the library when at the beginning of the year they would ask "why" they had to read.... sigh...what can I say? It's such a great reward!
• I love my co-workers.
• I have a great boss.
• Yes, I make $11K less than my husband, but I work in a great great place.
• I've probably had one of the best first years of all the teacher's I've worked with.
• Sharing is fun - I love collaboration with collegues.
• Those that don't share are meanies and not as good teachers.
• Yes, children will be lazy if you let them - I have to work harder to get mine to learn.
• Evening school is a teachers' best friend.
• No more Zero's in the gradebook or low grades. Retest, evening school, retest.
• Yes, I have more grading than other teachers, but my kids LEARN or ELSE!
• My kiddos teach me every day.
• I try to listen to my behavior kids before I fuss or refer... There's usually something "behind" their behavior.
• I welcome hugs.
• My kids miss me when I'm gone.
• My vocabulary has words in it like "Krunk, and Snap".
• Dress poorly and a student WILL comment on the fact that you look like crap.
• Kids like that I dress up.
• I hate sagging pants.
  I compliment my students that make an effort to look "presentable" - not fancy, but pants pulled up, hair combed, shirts tucked in or at least not down to their knees.
• Using money as motivation helps...when my boys are thugging it out, I ask them what their favorite type of car is, and if skipping class and fighting are going to help them get their nice car and dollar bills "yo". :-)
• I tell my girls a guy with an education is PRICELESS.
• I tell my girls a GIRL without the need to depend on a guy is CRUCIAL and EMPOWERING.
• If they love the story we read, they work hard for me.
• I read what they read.
  They share their favorite books with me, and I make time to read them - these discussions are invaluable!!
• Positive, positive, positive.
• I have posters saying, "I am a SUCCESS" all over my classroom.
• I hope my kids become all they can be.
• Can't reach them all, but a few I had "written off" sensed it, and then shocked me by suddenly doing their work, and giving effort.
• Don't ever give up on a student!
• Ignore them a little - Pretend you don't care as much, once they exhausted all other avenues...and suddenly they start working harder to get you to pay attention and CARE again.
• Teaching takes time away from my own children.
• I must work on that!
• Ignorance and stupid comments/outbursts for attention, now get called out in the middle of class. Ignorance and "being a clown", aren't bragging rights in my room. I call them on their need to hide their feelings of insecurity or their need for attention. Then we move on.
• Second chances are vital.
• At the beginning of the year, I have lots of "hallway" conferences.
• I do my best not to correct a student in front of their friends. It makes them need to defend themselves, and their "front" comes out which escalates the situation.
• I haven't cried this year.
• I thought I would cry this year.
• I've been yelled at.
• I've been threatened.
• Students have said "no" to me and challenged me in the classroom.
• I'm not against having a COP remove a student from the room, although I haven't had to do that yet.
• I've had a student throw a paper at me.
• A student nearly hit me with a rubberband - we had a "come to Jesus meeting" in the hall.
• My kids know I have eyes in the back of my head.
• I'm not as emotional as I was at the beginning of the year.
• I don't get as mad when they talk back.
• I now give detentions for not having a pencil.
• Everything's a GRADE in my room. Accountability is CRUCIAL.
• Students must have choices. Buy-in is so important.
• Group work is exhausting, but the kids love it!!!
• I like them to work harder than me.
• Classroom procedures save your life!!!!
• My kids have to lend me something of theirs to borrow something of mine.
• My tape dispenser is the only thing stolen this year, and that was the first month of school.
• I seldom lock my door.
• I trust my kids (most of them).
• Kids parents are either very involved or not at all.
• Paper trails are awesome.
• I read every note! THEY know this.
• I have sent a ton of journals/notes to the counselor this year.
• Kids know that I love them.
• My kids tolerate my 'when you grow up' lectures.
• I hope this is never "just a job".
• Bathrooms are evil places for children to text, fight, cuss, and destroy things.
• I have heard many interesting things while in a stall next to a student.
• You never know when Mrs. S is in the restroom with you (girls only).
• I hate to be bumped in the hall - have some manners, say excuse me, and I make them go back to the front of the hall and start over.
• Kids are not allowed in my room if I'm not in there.
• I've marched them out many times, and made the entire class re-enter my room when they come in screaming, touching, and carousing.
• PDA gets ridiculous at the end of 7th grade.
• TAKS is boring. Too much standing, and no talking drives me NUTS!!!
• A classroom doesn't have to be library quiet.
• A made a student define "truancy" in the middle of class - when he returned late from an appointment with the principal for being truant the class before. His response, "Well, I never skip your class Mrs. S!" Now I call him Mr. T.
• I save every note, every detention slip- they are invaluable in Parent Conferences.
• I'm really good in Parent Conferences - I've led a few team conferences when our counselor wasn't here, at her request.
• I want to be a counselor and then a principal, but I also really really love teaching.
• Drawing on oneself is really fun for kids.
• I hate being called "Miss".
• I respond, "hey, kid!"
• I make them journal about everything!
• I read ALL of their work. EVERYTHING. It's amazing what kids will tell you in their writing.
• Yes, again, I have more grading than other teachers.
• On writing assignments, I have "Suggestions for Improvement" and "WOW" columns.
• I tell them if they knew all the answers, they wouldn't need me. Being ignorant is normal. Stupidity is not tolerated or cool.
• Special ed kids are a challenge.
• I'm a sucky mentor! I'm better in the classroom, than arranging "preset" times to eat with my kids, or visit with them outside of class.
• I hate seeing kids waiting on parents for hours after school.
• I wish it was the old days and I give kids a ride home that are out in 35 degree weather waiting on a parent.
• I would never give a kid a ride home for legal reasons.
• Detentions are a waste of time. - My kids don't mind staying after with me. More fun than being at home for some of them.
• I call parents - alot. Doesn't always help, but covers my butt, makes the kids realize that I'm going to hold them accountable, and lets me say, "Do you want to get on the phone with Gloria right now?"
• I can't wait to see what I learn next year!!