Goal for next year...

So, the end of the year is coming up quickly. As I look at that I have to make a goal for next year. My biggest goal is to have more structured lessons. When I first started this job I had no clue what I was going to do really. After this first year, I have a bigger idea and a lot of plans to work on over the summer. If anyone ever tells you teachers get three months off in the summer they are wrong. First, if you teach summer school you've just given up three- four weeks in June/early July. Then you will go back at least two weeks before school starts again to get your room ready. In between, you may have 4-6 full weeks off in the summer. During that time, you aren't sitting on your rear unless it's to make new lessons!

This summer, my goal is to put my lessons on my flash drive and to have a power point for each as well as various activities to do. I plan to have a more structured day that entails them reviewing daily grammar and punctuation exercises as well as writing practice. In order to do this, it's probably going to take me a lot of time to get all of that together so I am guessing my 4-6 weeks free won't be free at all!!! Plus, I'm going to start my writing again. Can't wait.

So if anyone ever thinks the life of a teacher is golden....well, they are right. It is. The positives far outweigh the negatives and I wouldn't trade it for anything to be honest. No it isn't all smiles and happy times but it isn't a constant downer either!!! It's a challenge and no two days are ever the same and that is what keeps me coming back for more. It's always different.

I would also like to take this time to mention I've been VERY lucky that I've been surrounded by some really great teachers who've helped me in ways they'll never know. My fellow fourth grade teachers have helped me tremendously throughout the whole year. My mentor in the fifth grade has shown me a lot of great tricks and given many ideas to use for next year. I'm lucky this school is full of wonderful teachers who love their job and care about their students. I'd also like to thank our principal for taking a chance on me and offering me the job to begin with. I'll always be grateful for that. I've not included names mostly because I don't want to invade their privacy or anything.

I'm sure I'll have more to say another day. For now, I'm exhausted from a cold and am going to go to sleep soon!!