I only see my Grade 9 math class 3 days a week… Now, I will note that although this is a high-school class, it is not broken into semesters and I will see them all year long. The problem, however, is that these 3 days are back-to-back Monday to Wednesday. This means that my students do not have math for almost 5 full days with the way our class times are laid out. Furthermore, our school functions on a 5-day cycle which means that anytime there is a holiday on a Monday, I only see my students 2 days a week.… Read More
2 Stars & A Wish: Week 7
This weeks started our back-to-back short weeks as Monday of this week was Thanksgiving and this upcoming Friday is our provincial professional development day, S.A.G.E. This week seemed to go by very quickly even though I didn’t actually teach that much. Most of my classes are nearing the end of their units and I had 2 classes write their unit tests on Friday. Two things that I think went really well this week are: 1 ) Introducing Formal Lab Reports in Science– We have been working with the Scientific Method since the beginning of’ the school year and we have… Read More
These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things…
We’re at that point where the majority of my classes are finishing up their first units and preparing to move on. As such, I wanted to share some of my favourite projects and activities from some of my classes. Grade 8 Art Our first project in Art this year was a Famous Artist Research Mobile. Students picked an artist of their choice, created mobile using their pieces of art, and included artist bio’s and references on the back. These are now laminated and permanent fixtures in my room! Grade 8 Science In Science we explored cells and… Read More
2 Stars & A Wish: Week 6
Twas’ the week before the long weekend… That’s right, it is Thanksgiving this weekend! Not only that, but it is also our community’s big rodeo event and our school’s Spirit Week. All together, this resulted in our student’s having that “Friday afternoon” mentality ALL week long! It was a bit of a nut house, but we all made it through unscathed. Two things that went really well this week are: 1 ) Having My First Evaluation!– On Monday I had my very first evaluation as a first year teacher. I was asked to submit a list of possible dates… Read More
2 Stars & A Wish: Week 5
September is behind us and here is my first 2 Stars & A Wish post of October. Teachers always say that the year goes by so quickly and I definitely understand that now! It honestly seems like yesterday was the first day of school and it is almost already Thanksgiving. Two things that went well this week are: 1 ) Reinforcing our Risk Free Environment Policy– I do not have a formal list of rules in my classroom, but I do have a Risk Free Environment Policy that reads as follows: “Our classroom does not discriminate on the basis of disability,… Read More
2 Stars & A Wish: Week 4
I can’t believe that September is already done!! School has already been 1/10 completed and there is only a few short weeks before my first experience writing my own report cards! Everything seems to be going by so quickly and I am so thankful for my blog and the reflection opportunity it provides me. With month 1 done, two things that I am proud of this week are: 1 ) Having My Grade 8s Plan Their 2nd Blog!– That’s right, with only a week under their belts, my Grade 8s asked if they could begin blogging for their math class… Read More
2 Stars & A Wish: Week 3
I am now in a solid routine with all six of my classes and am feeling a lot more comfortable than I was in the first week of school. I even took advantage of my first pay cheque and bought a brand new pair of black Dr. Scholl’s flats that are SO comfortable and perfect for any teacher! Two things that I am proud of this week are: 1 ) Having My Grade 8 Class Launch Their 1st Blog!– This week my Grade 8 Science class launched their first blog! As an avid blogger for almost 2 years,… Read More
2 Stars & A Wish: Week 2
My first full week as a teacher is under my belt and I am feeling really happy to be getting into a routine (both in the classroom and in my personal life). Things are progressing like I expected, more-or-less, and I’ve managed to work around some of the obstacles that can be thrown at teachers like:– New students joining the class late– Fire drills– Broken photocopiers– Tech break-downs, etc All-in-all things have been going really well and it is hard to express just how rewarding this job can be. I feel blessed to have such a… Read More
2 Stars & A Wish: Week 1
During my last student teaching placement I began completing a “2 Stars & A Wish” posts every week where I would reflect on the events of the week, mention two things that I was proud of, and identify one area to work on in the following week. As my my Professional Growth Plan, this is a practice that I want to maintain throughout the school year as well. If you aren’t a teacher, it could seem silly to be writing a reflection for the first “week” when we only actually had students for two days. Those… Read More
I Promise…
Students, tomorrow is not only your first day back to school but it is also my first day as a full-time teacher. I’ve spent hours over the summer accumulating resources, preparing lessons, differentiating plans, and attending PD… I’ve organized our classroom and tried to put my personal flare into the room while leaving space for you to make it your own… I’ve attending our back-to-school meetings and checked (and double-checked) to make sure I have everything ready for our first days together. As we enter this new, exciting, overwhelming, awesome experience, here is what I promise you: – I… Read More