New Year's Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!!!

I know everyone says this but I CANNOT believe it is 2017!  Seriously!  How did we get here?  Yesterday I had a little moment of disbelief.  I was shopping at the mall and in line at a register where a young girl was applying for a store credit card.  I overheard her birthday and the year was 1997.  And I thought, wait.  1997?  But that makes you like ten right?  Girl, surely you are not old enough for this.  Wait....Oh, nope that makes you 19.  19!  Time is flying by way too fast and I'm really starting to feel my age y'all.....
Anyway....2017 is here and with the new year comes new resolutions and fresh starts.  This isn't just personally for me, it's professionally too.  Over Christmas break, I spent some time regrouping, relaxing and rearranging my classroom, getting it prepared for the new year.  New centers, new name tags, new activities, new plans...you know the drill.  With all of this 'new', also comes a new attitude.  The first half of the school year is over and as we round the bend to the second half of the year I feel a fresh start is needed.  In fact, it's time for a confession.  I admit it.  The first semester wore me out friends.  Please someone tell me I'm not the only one!  I love doing what I do.  I.  LOVE. MY.  JOB.  But as we drew closer to December it was getting harder to LIKE it.  Class parties, endless meetings, paperwork, the excitement (and craziness of the holidays), those few students who had been happily tap dancing  on my last nerve, plus that 'pile of things I'll take care of over break' that had grown to maximum capacity......all added up and truthfully, I. WAS. DONE.  
So over break I did take care of *most* of that massive pile, but I also took some much needed time to just BE.  I took a step back and did what I wanted.  If that meant sleeping in, or drinking coffee and watching Gilmore Girls all day, or playing with my girls and not even thinking about school, it didn't matter.  I DID IT.  And I LOVED IT.  This much needed step back, gave me time to rest and clear my mind.  It also gave me an opportunity to think with a level head on some of the changes I need to make in my classroom.  While there were A LOT of ideas and thoughts around what I should change, there were three that kept coming back to my heart.  While I can change my centers, change my room arrangement, and change my schedule, the biggest change needed for the new year was me.  Here's a quick list of my New Years' resolutions for the next half of the year.

1. LAUGH MORE - If I had a goal of one thing I wanted to accomplish this school year, it would be that I want my students to love coming to school.  Yes, I want them to learn.  Yes, I want them to walk away capable thinkers and doers.  Yes, I want them to handle situations appropriately and be respectful individuals.  But first and foremost, I want my students to LOVE COMING TO SCHOOL.  Because truthfully, if students love coming to your class everyday, they will learn, they will become great thinkers and doers, and they will learn to be respectful.  So I want to have more fun.  Laugh more, play more, experiment more, be silly more.  Because students will remember how you made them feel above all else.  

2. SLOW DOWN - Let's face it.  There are A LOT of things we are required to include in our lesson plans every day.  Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in 'fitting it all in'.  But is cramming information in really what's best for our students?  I find myself adding extra pressure on myself to follow the book and keep everything on track.  Sheesh I'm tough on myself!  Allowing our schedules (and ourselves) to be more flexible, following our students' lead and spending more time on difficult or student led topics is more beneficial to student learning.  Just remember, they are little and need more time and hands on practice to understand concepts we've understood for years.  I'm going to slow down, breathe, and take my time this new year. 

3. SMALL GROUPS - One thing that has become very apparent in my classroom this first semester, is the vast and varying needs of my students.  I am carving out time in my classroom schedule to spend quality time with small groups and individual students - targeting goals together, practicing skills and building relationships.  My goal is to practice engage in more intentional teaching and focus on  activities for small groups and individuals to help students meet goals and become more successful in the classroom.  I plan to do this through small math groups, student conferencing every Friday and using a classroom literacy aide more intentionally while she is in my classroom - shifting my focus from the whole classroom to more individual.  
The truth is, none of us is perfect.  Sometimes we get off track and the things we've always known and done have gotten pushed to the back.  Now is a good time for a fresh start and fresh perspective. :) What are you working on in this new year?  I'd love to hear from you!