First Week Over

Wow!!! The first week is over and I'm beat tired. It's so good to have the students back. We spent this opening week getting to know each other. We did a variety of ice breaking activities. My favorite was called "clumping". This activity had the students coming together based on certain attributes. It was fun watching them figuring out whether or not they belong to a certain group. This week also allowed me to discuss what my expectations are for this year and what I expect of them in the classroom. I'm using this weekend to recharge and I'm looking forward to week two.

Koi Pond

Added a new gadget to my blog...it's a Koi pond. I have the same app on my iphone and absolutely love it. It helps to relax the mind :-)

ALPS Starting

Well, ALPS starts this coming Monday. I'm so excited about it. This year will be a little different. Instead of having the grade levels coming on a specific day, schools will be coming on a set day. This is very different from last year and yes it's new but it shouldn't be feared. Mrs. Harris and I will be with the at different schools to make sure that the ALPS students get on the bus. Make sure to fill out your "welcome back" packets. Have a nice weekend and I really look forward to seeing you next week.

Back at Work

It's really good to be back at work! The last several days the ALPS team has been meeting together and working on this year's projects. We plan to make social studies our focal point of study this year in ALPS. We're planning on cover the topics of community and immigration.
Our first day with the students will be Monday, August 17th. Rest assured until then we are working very hard to have everything in place for a successful year.

Keys to Instructional Excellence

Last week's in-service was excellent!!! I really learned a lot. The title of the in-service was "Keys to Instructional Excellence: What Effective Teachers Know, Do, and Understand." The basic aim of the two day workshop was to show teachers how to be better teachers and to create a plan to ensure a highly successful classroom based on three keys. Those keys were: a) managing your classroom, b) planning for instruction, and c) teaching and assessing for learning. It didn't matter if you were a rookie or vetern. The workshop offered something for everyone. I feel very fortunate that I work for a district that takes professional develop of its teaching staff seriously.

Mindset

I realize that I don't have to report back to school until next week but that week before reporting back is always important. It's the time that I start getting my mind back into gear for the coming school year. I start to get into the habit of going to bed early, getting up early and start gathering those necessary classroom supplies. There's a part of me that hates to go back to work and another part that just can't wait to be teaching kids again. Actually if i had a three week vacation in June, I'd be ready to teach again in July. Looking forward to the new school year and the great students in the Phoenix Elementary School District!

Summer Musings

Summer is going well. This time always allows me the time to charge up for the next school year. I've been going over new lesson plans for the coming year. Next week I'll be going to an in-service for new teachers in the district. Remember this is going to be my second year here in the Phoenix Elementary School District. It's a great district and I still can learn a lot.