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Everyone's out there shouting "New Year, New YOU!"...but let's be honest. Every new year, it's the same us but maybe we make different choices that lead to change. As an educator, a new calendar year is cool but it's really not a new year for us. We've got the same school, same students, same classroom, same old same old unless, of course, we make the choices to change things that we are in control of. I like to think of January 1 as the midway point (give or take) to the school year. It's right about the time of a semester change, we're coming off of a lengthy break, and it's the perfect time to reflect on how things are going and change things up as needed. It's a great time for a mid-year refresh.
Before the end of semester, I encourage you all to think about how things are going in your classrooms and make a "keep, change, toss" list of your practices, procedures, systems. Everything that you have control over can be evaluated as something that's working (keep), something that's got potential but needs tweaking (change), and something that is not serving a productive purpose (toss). We should never feel badly about about changing or tossing practices because no one has all the answers from the beginning or gets it all right from day 1. I think recognizing pieces that no longer fit shows growth- or at least that's what I tell myself as I'm constantly evaluating my own practices. Over time, we are left with a overflowing toolbox of tried and true "keeps" that allow us to do our jobs the most efficiently and effectively.
Think about...
- Classroom management
- Behavior systems
- Routines & procedures
- Instructional Strategies
- Scheduling & Pacing
- Seating chart
- Furniture arrangement
- Organization systems
- Grading and Feedback routines
- Lesson planning habits
- Student interactions
- etc
When the day feel slumpy for you, how do you think your students feel? Introducing new practices in class can improve student engagement when things get stale and keep you feeling engaged and energized as well. Simple shake ups like a new instructional game, a new procedure that makes more sense than the old one, a new routine to replace one that isn't working, a change of scenery or classroom layout can make a big difference.
☺ Bring out the books!
Introduce your favorite books to your class with read alouds or spend a few minutes each day previewing "featured" books in your classroom library. Reading aloud for just a few minutes can break up a transition and give students something to look forward to. I love what Mrs. Wadsworth does in 4th grade! She previews 2 books with her class and they vote on their read aloud novel. When they finish the book, they put up a class review (peep the wall next to their door next time you are down that way!). Mrs. Hicken teaches reading strategies by modeling with a class read aloud novel. Then, she gives her 6th graders time to read their own books and practice the strategy using sticky notes that are turned in as exit tickets. In Jr High, Ms. Bown starts her classes with a "Breath and Read" to give students some time to settle and focus. Think this is only for ELA teachers? Think again! Historical Fiction is engaging for different eras in Social Studies and easily lends to compare/contrast facts vs fictional account. Believe it or not, there are actual elementary books that are written for math and science lessons. Every age and every subject can benefit from books that have themes revolving around self confidence, perseverance, and other life lessons. You just can't go wrong with literacy!
☺ Give your students a voice!
Choice is powerful and when you're looking to refresh your practices. What CHOICE can you give your students in what they learn and how they learn it? The more say students have in their learning, the more they will learn. This can be as simple as "pick problem 1 or problem 2 to complete" or a little more autonomous with something like "You have 10 minutes to pick an article and summarize using a template, paragraph form, or voice memo" or something complex like having multiple projects running at the same time. It's ok to start small here.
☺ Daily Discussion!
Starting your class with a "Stop and Think" type exercise can be a valuable warm-up to get students brains turned on and to focus conversation. It can be a question, a quote, a riddle, a picture. The key is to make it something that everyone can access, something engaging/interesting, and try to tie it to context of the daily lesson.
☺ Restate Goals!
18 weeks feels like forever ago, especially for short attention spans. Mid-year is a great time to check in on any goals you set with your classes at the beginning of the year, remind students what they are working for, and revalidate those things.
☺ Review Expectations!
Reteach what is expected. Be deliberate in your positive reinforcement (check out 200 PBIS incentive ideas) of those expectations and follow through consistently. Just because you might have gotten a little lax over the past weeks/months doesn't mean that ship has sailed. ANY time is a good time to tighten up on classroom management, especially mid-year. However, I'll say it once and I'll keep saying it- CONSISTENCY is key to maintain any momentum in this department.
☺ Keep up with Communication!
HAPPY MID-YEAR!