A new day, a new adventure

Teaching Pre K-8, Aug/Sep 2002 by Brovero, Marian

Strategies for staying sharp and serene

It's the beginning of a new school year; the time for renewal of focus - for teachers and students - is at hand. The excitement we all feel in the opening days of the year can be made to last all year long. One of the methods I use to keep myself - and the kids on track is a system of four folders, which contain everything from organizational tools and teaching resources, to words and images that inspire me on a personal level.

School Dreams

Taking aim. The first of these folders is called School Dreams. It contains all the notes I wrote to myself about things I should have done or thought of too late last year. When the time to replenish my spirit arrives, I look through this folder and take a few moments to plan the ways in which I can keep my students - and myself - excited about learning. I ask myself the following questions:

* Have I let the ambience of the learning atmosphere lapse?

* Have I presented the curriculum in the same old way - again?

* What special dreams and hopes do I wish to pass on to my students?

* Have I worked hard enough to reach the timid and quiet students?

* How has my personal appearance been lately?

The reading-writing connection. As teachers, we know the value of writing constantly and reading every day. Our approach may vary from what we enjoy doing to what we and our colleagues have agreed upon. There are piles of plans to consider on the way to total reading/writing immersion. It's vital to teach children all the means of expression, and students need to feel comfortable using those modes of expression.

As you consider ways to increase your students' love of, and proficiency in, reading and writing, jot them down and put them in your School Dreams folder. Why not try out some of these:

* Do I use a journal for recording all the acts of kindness my class has accomplished?

* Have I pushed for a journal under the bed of every one of my students? (The best ideas come in the night).

* Have I reminded parents to let the good ideas just flow? * Do I encourage the kids to keep one big journal that holds everything from their responses to the daily news, their personal thoughts and ideas or responses to books they've read?

* Have I encouraged the rereading of all that has been written?

* Do I make sure my students can read what they have written to a friend, a small group, to me, to the world?

Happy Friday P.M.

The week in review. The stress of Friday afternoons can cause me to reevaluate my career decision, so I created a second folder - Happy Friday PM. - to give myself some relief This folder contains my class' daily curriculum accomplishments from that week.

Every Friday, I plan and present a different approach to reviewing the week's work with the class. Our reviews truly have style! Sometimes we use the format of a web, a flower, a letter or a simple outline, as shown at left. These review papers hold the kids' attention and can be sent home for parental viewing.

I put the review sheet on the overhead projector, the board or a large chart, (which, when saved, makes a great test preparation tool and fills a bulletin board) so the whole class can see it.

Meanwhile, not only have I ended another week with a review of everything the students learned during that week, I've also just administered an oral quiz with full class participation. Thanks to my Happy Friday PM. folder, Friday afternoons are painless.

The End!

The end. When covering a particular unit, there are often so many wonderful projects I want to include, there truly isn't enough time to do it all.

This is where my third folder comes in. I call it The End! All those exciting plans that never made it to the classroom get tossed into this folder, to be used in lesson plans for the final four weeks of the school year. This approach provides a lasting review and simple decorations for my room (all the old decorations come down earlier and are filed). Sometimes, I extend one last invitation to my students' parents, so they can observe all the mindexpansion that has taken place during the school year. (Those big weekly review charts can be helpful here!)

Smile Recipes

Homework for the teacher. Teaching is a joyful profession. I say that 10 times to myself before I go to bed each night. We have it within our power to make each new school day a new and adventurous event for ourselves and our students. Use different approaches; plan to be spontaneous. End each unit of study with a memorable souvenir for your students - a tasty treat or a classmade keepsake.

Seek your direction from your class' preferences and strengths. You know your students, and you know the curriculum, so why not put away your teacher manuals and open the way to your personal creativity? Your excitement about teaching and learning will be contagious; it can make your classroom a vibrant place. My fourth and last - folder, is called Smile Recipes. I fill it with what makes me happy, then I think of ways to use those things to spice up the school day.