Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Prioritizing!

This blog is BACK! Time to return to sharing what works in our classroom, and talk through the rough spots. Is anyone else already planning for next year?? I have to admit that I've already drawn up plans to completely rearrange my classroom for next year...

In just a few words, I am hoping to sort through some of the major procrastination I've justified in my head as to why this poor blog has been so lonely over the past few months! I've certainly prioritized other school-based projects, promised not to be on the computer so long each night and also withheld some uncertainty during our addition and subtraction unit. All excuses aside, I realized that this project is one that I do not share with my Kindergarten teaching teammates. These three other teachers are each so fantastic, and I could gush about them all day. Being part of this team makes me happy, organized and diligent.

We meet at least three times a week to collaborate on lesson plans, units, assessments, field trips, parent communication, special projects and funny things kids say. Time during the school day, as well as before and after as per our changing schedules, is more than essential. It truly helps propel me forward when I get bogged down by the 913 other things I need to do each day. Why mention it? I left my last school district partially because of the lack of collaborative plan time, and the negative, stressful atmosphere among colleagues it seemed to cause. Maybe you are the only teacher at your grade level, in your subject area or department (like I was)....to me, this team means the difference between mission accomplished or not.

If you want more information, check out some of these basic notes on Professional Learning Communities. In the meantime, thanks to the best Kindergarten teaching team ever!! I plan to share more math CCSS and other notes and resources soon.

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