Week 3?

Is it already the third week of school?  My, how time flies!

I can already say that this year is definitely turning over a new leaf for me.  Coming upon my FIFTH year in elementary, I am finally feeling more secure and less like a "new and young" teacher.  I spent my summer voraciously reading teaching books, reviewing my portfolio from college, trying to redefine who I want to be as a teacher.

It's easy to become jaded - to feel so buried by state accountability, standardized testing, new programs, and you just give up.  You decide to give more worksheets, you decide that there is no time for creativity...no time to give your students rich experiences in the classroom.  

This year, I have found passion.  I have found a zeal for what I do, and I feel it every day in my classroom.  I enjoy planning out my lessons now.  I can't wait to cover certain topics, I can't wait to dive in headfirst and get these kiddos writing.  But the kids haven't changed... I have.  I have realized that as teachers, our calling is monumental.  We cannot allow students the excuse of "I don't like _____________," or I can't think of anything."  We must teach them that from the moment they walk in the door, they are transformed into someone who does hard things.

This week - what's my plan?

We will be discussing ways to map out ideas by completing an emotion box in our writing journals.

We will be completing a "quick write" and beginning our first personal narrative.

We will dive into building great sentences, first focusing on subject/predicate, then moving into 4 types of sentences.

We will continue reading The Indian in the Cupboard and work on some characterization maps. :)

Stay tuned, folks.  Pictures/Lessons coming soon. <3