Take Advantage

Teaching isn't easy, but some years are just easier, and I've learned that when I have one of these years, I need to take advantage of it!

If some years are just easier, then naturally some years are just harder (I blogged about one of these years, a few years ago, here) -- sometimes because of particularly needy kiddos, sometimes because of demanding families, sometimes because of new coworkers, and sometimes because of personal life outside of school. Whatever the challenge, some years it takes longer to get into routines, more time to teach new concepts, and it may never feel like you can fully relax in the classroom. This is hard, but it's part of the job. Looking down the hallway, and talking to other teachers, I suspect that the next few years are not going to be so easy. All the more reason to keep pushing myself to be creative and try new things. Of course, it's all made so much easier with the help, encouragement, and support of amazing teammates -- so that's another thing I'm trying not to take for granted! 

Last year, for me, was one of those years.  Looking back, it was a combination of kiddos and coworkers, and some new things for me (like having an intern and using new curricula).  I tried to take advantage of those challenges by pushing myself to be especially reflective and honing my management skills.  It was still a great year in a lot of ways, but truthfully it wasn't too hard to say goodbye. 

This year, on the other hand, has been one of those rare years that, frankly, is just going smoothly (knocking on wood)!  I've got the same team (plus an incredible addition) that I had last year, this is now my third time teaching a full-year of our curricula, and most of our kiddos are pretty easy-going.  This is a crew that can handle open-ended activities without getting too crazy; they can adjust to a flexible schedule without getting overwhelmed. They work together well and can reflect on their own learning without too much structure or encouragement. 

So what have I been doing new this year? Let's see... we started the year with a collaborative growth-mindset oriented math challenge. We've done an "Escape Classroom" at the end of each of our math modules. We have had open-ended math lessons, launched from read-alouds and inquiry questions.  We've have had free-writing afternoons and "class-keeping" (i.e. "housekeeping") chore charts. 

These activities have been great for the kiddos and I definitely want to do them in the future, even if I have a less adaptable group.  Fortunately, now that I've had some success (and learned from some of the less successful experiences), I'll feel more confident trying these activities again. Some teachers are comfortable with a fair amount of chaos and uncertainty in their classrooms, but try as I might, I am not one of those teachers. 😬