Do you ever get stuck in the same routine? Things seem to work (or maybe not), so you just stick with what you're familiar with, whether it be lesson ideas, organization techniques, or classroom management structures.
This will be a year of transition for me, as I have a new teaching partner and will now tackle 5th and 6th graders, instead of 4th and 5th graders. I'm blessed in that I get to keep my same group of students; however, with the changes coming my way, I've realized this is the perfect year to try new things out and see how my students respond! This is particularly important because this will be my third year with half of my students! (I'm sure they will invite change, as well!)
So, with the encouragement of a colleague of mine, I've started researching new ideas around classroom management and community building! Boy, oh boy, have I been enjoying it! It's made me realize the importance of continually evolving and looking for new ideas that you haven't tried before! I'm really thinking that this may not only help my students, but it may help keep teaching new and exciting for me! It seems districts are always changing the way we are to deliver the curriculum (strategy/program of the year), but that change isn't nearly as exciting as the changes we can CHOOSE to make in our classrooms! Changes we embrace and are excited to implement!
So, here is my reminder to all the hardworking educators out there...try something new! All you have to do is go to Pinterest, type in what you're looking for, and it's as though the doors to thousands of classrooms open up right in front of you, allowing you to view the many ideas of our colleagues around the world!
