8.15.10

As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world -
that is the myth of the atomic age -
as in being able to remake ourselves."

- Gandhi

On deck: Week Three of SY 2010-2011. So far, so ☺ - twenty awesome kids, some communicative parents, a generally good feeling. We've had some hiccups already, to be sure, but on the whole I'm happy with the start of the year.

The longer you teach in one grade level, the easier things get. Your routines, lessons, everything becomes so well-oiled you can almost do it in your sleep. This is good AND bad. Proficiency is good; complacence is bad. Gotta make sure you're not actually sleeping when you're giving a lesson, because kids can tell when you're just going through the motions. This is why even though I love and will happily teach 5th grade as long as I am allowed, I won't be upset if/when I'm asked to move. (If ever; I may love it but 5th grade is traditionally unpopular. If never, I will eventually have to initiate movement. You can't die in the place you were born without ever having seen something of the rest of the world ...)

Every year I change things - not sure if it's because I haven't found perfection in a single area yet or if I just get bored of sameness. Can't really change the curriculum - although good lessons always evolve and can always be improved - so I change classroom systems, the arrangement of furniture, the functional design of my plan book, etc. As they say, keep and share the things that work. Learn from - and tweak or discard - what doesn't.

Open House is coming up. I'm always curious about the parents; this year I'm curious and very much looking forward to meeting them. There's got to be parent involvement this year. Too often, we only come face-to-face with them twice a year: PTCs and graduation. Usually by fifth grade if the kids are doing OK, this heavy-ELL population keeps their distance. Because they're "good" kids, they usually take a backseat to parents' jobs and the demands of everyday life. I'm hoping things will be different this year. And even if camp is just the shadow of a possibility at this point, I want them on our side in case we need to fundraise, call on chaperones, etc.

Took a page out of Ms. Okita's Super Teacher book (she's @logieo on Twitter) and hand-wrote letters in hopes of garnering greater parent attendance at OH this year. We'll see if it makes a difference. Even if there isn't a striking attendance boost, hopefully it will let the parents know something about me.

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