School is out and my summer has begun! YAY!!!!!! My poor classroom is empty! No posters, no nothing! It would be shocking for my students to see since I usually have so much stuff out....mostly frogs. :) My last day was Friday, June 7th and so far I have been a total couch potato! Yup, it's true, I've wasted the last 3 days just chillaxing! I needed to "do nothing". It's just what the doctor ordered....... Well, actually my doctor wants me to exercise but we don't need to tell her about the last 3 days.
I don't know about you but I hate the end of the year. I get all emotional on the last day with my students. And to top it off.......my principal of 9 years is leaving to another school. I will miss her a lot but we always have facebook - HA! The principal coming in is just what we needed. I think sometimes teachers get to stuck in their ways and need a little shake up. :)
Not only are we having a new principal but the fourth grade team is going to give "team teaching" a try. I will be teaching ELA and my partner will teach Math then we will both teach our own homeroom integrated Science/Social Studies. I think our schedule will look kinda like this:
7:45 students arrive to homeroom, unpack backpacks and watch announcements. When announcement are over, lets's say at 7:55. 7:55 - 8:20 will be school wide morning reading (maybe). At 8:20 I will teach ELA to my class and my partner will teach Math to her class. At 10:10 we break for specials rotation). At 11:00 I will teach Sci/SS to my own class and my partner will teach Sci/SS to her own class. 11:55 recess and then lunch at 12:15 for both of us. 12:55 - 2:35 my homeroom will go to my partner for Math and her homeroom will come to me for ELA.
I wish I would have a bigger time block for teaching ELA but I will do what I have to do. We have 6 teachers on 4th grade and we will all partner up with the person across the hall. I will let you know how it works throughout the year. I really need to think this all through......desk tags, student supplies, etc. If you have team taught before PULEASE let me know your secrets....any advice or tips would be so helpful.
A new principal and team teaching are enough changes but there is another big change..... my daughter has graduated High School!!!!!!!! How can that be when I still have my fat from my pregnancy with her???? Actually her graduation ceremony is Thursday. I am not sure I can handle her growing up! How can I be old enough to have a college student? My son is going to be a Sophomore so I have a few years before I have 2 in college. Holy Old Lady Batman! Time flies!!!!!!
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Bella's graduation announcement - isn't she beautiful?
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Enough about change.......well, kinda. I am reading The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.
O.M.G. its one of the best teacher resources I have ever read!!!!!! I am hosting a book study on it on my other blog
We Read, We Blog, We Teach. The first post will be up by Friday. This book will CHANGE the way you look at your reading instruction. If you read only one "teacher book" this summer this is the one you MUST read. Here are some other great reads I have on my summer reading list.
Looks like I need to get a non-teacher book list started.
Hoppy Reading and Hoppy Summer friends!
