Ten-YearTeach's Blog

     It’s that time again, when we look back at the successes and short-comings of the year behind us and make plans to implement change in the year ahead.  No, it’s not late December, but late August, and the resolutions being made don’t (necessarily) involve dieting, improving our social lives, and reigning in our unruly expenditures.  Instead, they involve classroom management, lesson planning and assessment. 

     For educators, Labor Day often holds as much of a sense of hope, anticipation and uncertainty as New Year’s Day does for the rest of America.  This is a time of new beginnings, an opportunity to reinvent ourselves or rededicate ourselves to our long-term classroom goals.

     Personally, I consider the resolutions that I make at the end of August to be more vital – and, in many respects, more viable – than those I make in January.  And I find that I am much more likely to follow through on resolutions that are written, rather than just mental or spoken.  So this year, I’ve decided to share my resolutions, and to encourage other educators (or others in general) to do the same.

 

 

Resolution 1:  I resolve to blog more.  I originally started this blog as a way to share ideas, vent frustrations and celebrate successes.  But, as usual, I got so wrapped up in my own process throughout the school year that I all but shut out the rest of the world.  This year, I want to reach out and invite the rest of the world in, at least once in a while.

 

 

Resolution 2:  I resolve to use my time, particularly my prep blocks, more effectively.  It can be tempting to see prep blocks as “chill out” blocks, particularly on those difficult days.  But if I can accomplish at least a little something each prep block – grading a set of quizzes, updating my assignments on yourhomework.com, or simply hanging posters – it will be less to accomplish after school.

 

 

Resolution 3:  Tied into #2, my third resolution is to get assignments graded more quickly.  I am notorious for taking a longer time to grade written assignments, meaning that I am constantly stressed and my students are often in limbo waiting to see how they did.  It’s not that I procrastinate the grading process, but I agonize over each word, each answer, each point that is deducted.  If I agonize less and turn assignments around faster, my students and I both win!

 

 

Resolution 4: I resolve to continue improving my communication with parents.  This is an area where I have experienced some improvement over the last several years, making more contact particularly through email.  This year, I would like to expand that contact, hopefully creating parental email lists for each class and sending periodic class updates or perhaps (dare I dream it) a once-a-term or even monthly e-newsletter.  (It’s good to dream big!  Now if they just finish putting the new electrical and computer wiring in our classrooms, I might have a chance of pulling this off!)

 

 

Resolution 5:  I resolve to continue laughing.  On the first day, I tell all of my students – particularly my freshmen, who are often nervous and slightly overwhelmed by a new building, new teachers, a new schedule, etc. – that if they do nothing else in my class, they will laugh.  Sometimes it might be with me, and sometimes it might be at me, but before the year is over they will laugh.  I think laughter is an incredibly important tool in the classroom, because it loosens everyone up and improves their mood and outlook, if only for a moment.  Scientific evidence suggests that people tend to learn better when they are relaxed, and what better way to relax than to laugh?

 

 

With these resolutions now documented for myself and the world to see, I am ready to welcome a new school year!!  (And oh yeah, I wouldn’t mind losing a little weight, too.)