Reflections on the past year...

It's been awhile.  Seems like it is difficult for me to maintain a consistent schedule of updating my blog.  Whoopsies!  I have had a pretty crazy year since we last "spoke."  My husband got a job in a different state which meant a total relocation--selling our first home, buying our second home, packing everything, transporting everything, living separately for a brief period of time, being unemployed to very happily employed, unpacking everything, a child in the hospital for emergency surgery, trying to transition to a new place with new rules and new schemas...........I'm sure I'm forgetting something!  Regardless, it's been a whirlwind.

I'm SO happy at my new school!  I was thankfully able to get a job after school started last year in my most favorite grade---2nd! :)  In the midst of everything with moving, I also finished my 2nd Masters in Literacy Education.  I was also voted Teacher of the Year at my new school.  Talk about surprising!  I had a super sweet bunch of kiddos and a great supportive group of parents, probably one of my best groups yet.  It makes me really hopeful for things to come.  One thing that really seemed to go over well with the parents last year was a SECRET Facebook group I started to share information from the classroom.  I was able to share pictures, weekly updates, videos, and more.  It was really awesome to be so easily connected to parents in such a positive way.

5 Things from last year that I loved!
1.  My class of sweeties
2.  Interactive notebooks!
3.  Collaborative teaching during my small group reading block
4.  My colleagues!!  Everyone really welcomed me "with open arms."
5.  All the fun "themed" unit instruction I was able to plan.

5 Things I want to try/change for this year!
1.  Structure of my reading block--I am diving in headfirst into the Daily 5.  I'm a little nervous because it seems like such a HUGE undertaking, but we'll get through it!
2.  My classroom decor:  Since I came into the classroom after school had already started, my room was already "set up".  I'm really thankful to whomever did that for me because it was one less thing I had to worry about last year.  I never got to changing it, though.  I moved in some of my things, threw out/gave away a bunch of things, but I'm still working.  I'm excited to make my classroom "mine" this year with all of MY decorations.
3.  MORE FLUENCY INSTRUCTION!!!  I'm really hoping D5 will help me with this, but I am hoping to focus more on Fluency Instruction.
4.  Glue sponges--Will hopefully help on those Interactive Notebooks!
5.  HOMEWORK!  I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I have the tools to do it....I'm thinking about doing a WHOLE NEW ROUTINE



So I'm excited for this year!  Maybe I'll have time to keep things updated around here...maybe not!