I have been negligent when it comes to reflecting on the blog (though definitely not in real life - even though writing does help focus my thoughts and I get a bigger boost out of it). This is definitely something I need to find the time for. At the moment things do seem a bit hectic and crazy, though experience has taught me that it can't last forever. I just have to put my head down (so to speak) and get things done, one at a time (also allowing time for myself). There is a tough balance between meeting all the deadlines and giving myself time, and I feel like, compared to the first go around here (term 3 last year) I've at least taken some time for myself to do things I want to do (and, I'm running regularly again, which is helpful) so I'm not getting too stressed about things. No excuses for not doing this, just an explanation.
So below, I'm going to reflect on several things that have had a huge impact over the last few weeks, instead of doing them one at a time (the difference for me mentally seems a lot easier, though in reality, it is all the same amount of reflecting).
Boot Camp
The week before school started, all the teaching staff took off to beautiful Whitianga. Like most people (or so they said), I was nervous and unsure of what to expect. In the end, I had what I would call an amazing week, despite the fact that I barely slept at all in the four nights we were there. The biggest thing for me was the coming together of everyone, getting to know each other and feeling like a team. There certainly were some work-specific things to be learned during the week (drama and memory games, the new planning structure, a bit better understanding of the HOM, review of the behaviour system among, an extremely interesting and fascinating talk on memory and how we learn, among many others), the biggest value (one that probably can't be measured by a number) was the connections we made and the confidence I got in dealing with the other members of staff. Last year, coming in during the middle of the year, it was hard for me to become comfortable with the other teachers since we only saw each other briefly before and after school and there wasn't any time to really make bonds. This week was a perfect opportunity to do so, and I'd like to think I seized it. Since we've returned I've felt pretty good about how I get along with all the staff members, despite everyone being in super busy and super stress mode. I also got a boost of self confidence during the week when some of the new staff members started looking to me for questions. That was something that didn't really happen last year, and I'd like to think that that is something I can help with in the future.
New Beginnings - New Relationships (and Some Old Ones)
I touched briefly on my better relationships with staff members above, but I want to talk more about relationships. Last year was a tough year for me (2012, not just the school year specifically). I had a lot of upheaval in my life (starting at about 1am on New Year's Day in fact) during the year and it was often difficult to deal with. Part of my problem was that I didn't have any solid relationships in my life (note to self: this should be a lesson into itself - you didn't do so well without relationships, how will the students do any better?). It was hard to make new ones as I was so concerned with sorting other things out (and to a degree, I've still got a few of those things to sort out, but I guess the approach has changed).
Anyway, having a chance to start anew this school year has been refreshing. I was at the point last year where I didn't really know how to fix the things that had been going wrong, and I needed some time to step back from them and think about it. So this year, I have made a big effort to get to know my kids and to win them over so to speak. I don't have many students, but having identified the ones that will have some greater difficulty with school (behaviour wise, but also confidence in the classroom wise) I've been making an effort to make those students feel both safe (to make mistakes, and from danger), valued and cared for. Maybe this is an easier task with 5 year olds compared to 8 and 9 year olds, but I feel like I do have a pretty good connection with my students after 9 days. They make mistakes, but they accept those mistakes and take responsibility for them. I let them know they won't lose me or my calmness if they do make mistakes. They know that we're in this thing together and that I am there to help them, NOT to berate them for not being perfect. I guess that's the essence of what the children need to feel when it comes to dealing with me. Last year the stresses of the classroom got to me and I was unable to see this at points. It turned into an us vs. them environment (I'm exaggerating a bit here, but there was conflict at times) and that was not beneficial for anyone involved. I've taken steps this year to help me avoid getting into those traps and to be able to calmly step back from the situation and leave emotions at the door (or wherever we leave them). So far it has paid off and I feel my classroom has a really positive vibe and the children are set up to thrive.
I've also gotten a boost in confidence from the way most of my former students are coming to visit me in my new class. Pretty much every day I get at least one student from the Crafty Foxes coming to see me, and frequently offer to help me (another note to self: it can't hurt to get some help getting things sorted out). It makes me feel like I must have done a good job with them if they still want to come see me (and I'm more than happy to oblige them and have a conversation with them). I've also had several other students come into my class that I didn't teach. On Friday, a student who was mentioned in a staff meeting as having a rough time at the moment came in my room. We had a conversation about the caterpillars for a few minutes. She told me lots about them. It's funny how such a simple thing could make me feel like I was actually doing something worthwhile. I'm glad I had that opportunity and even more so that I took it.
Phonics Again
I had the opportunity to observe my tutor teacher again, as well as another teacher this week in phonics, as well as getting a chance to be observed and to try it on my own. The learning curve was certainly steep, I'd say. The biggest thing I've picked up is to get the kids comfortable and confident with saying the sounds. Lots of speaking (a comment to me during my observed lesson) and lots of actions (my observation of the other teacher) have had a big impact on the children's enthusiasm. Phonics is such a short (but important) part of the day. It's something that will come second nature, once I've had enough practice doing it myself. Getting to watch two different experienced teachers do this has given me a good idea of what it's all about and has been more helpful than watching just one (the commonalities vs the personal flair).
Planning
With the move from year 3/4 to year 1 there has been a big change in planning (not to mention the fact that we've changed the way our planning looks at school). Sorting out the format as well as the content of my planning has been a tough task to say the least. I got loads of helpful feedback on my planning for week 2 and then a good amount for week 3 (mostly with respect to detail and making sure that any teacher could pick up my planning and know what to do). This weekend has been full on with sorting out week 3's planning, but at the moment I have my head wrapped around it for the most part. The next step is to start doing my planning in a more efficient manner -as that is what takes up most of my time (well, to be honest, the flipcharts take up most of my time). My plan is to chip away at things during the week - complete one subject a day, including the flip charts. That way I won't spend so much time on the weekend.
I also had a good look at some other resources this weekend (but will have to have another good look at them in the future, when I do next week's planning), including the Numeracy Project books as well as some other examples of planning given to me by my team leader.
Moving Forward
This week I've got some observations of other teachers and an observation of my teaching. I have to say I'm looking forward to getting some feedback on my teaching and to getting some ideas from other teachers. I've still got some organizational things to do in my classroom (labels on a few things), but I have had some good feedback from students (including several who aren't in my class) about how the room looks. With the recently added fish and the caterpillars (among other things) there are several things to get the children talking in my room, and for that I'm pretty proud.
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