What Will YOU Do Differently?

So. I'm about to finish my first year teaching in my very own classroom. There's lots of things that went well, and lots of things that I'm sure I'll never try again. As I wrap up a wonderful first year teaching, I'm already thinking about how I can make next year even better. I'm linking up with Kim at Finding JOY in 6th Grade to see what we're definitely going to try next year. She made a pretty awesome clipart badge to use for the link-up, but the purple and pink flip-flops weren't quite my style... I hope she won't be offended! Graphics by Ashley Hughes.

I love what I did with my language arts board. Really, I do. It has a lovely spot for this week's story, and the phonics sound for the week, and the spelling words, and the EQ's, and everything... I just forget to update it, and therefore the students aren't using it. Ever. So that's one thing I need to do. 

I'm also struggling with how to display all the information for math. I kind of want it to be a bulletin board that grows throughout the year as we learn new things, so that they can reference it throughout the year... We'll see where it goes, but I know I need to fix it.

 My aide is amazing. And patient. I'm the 4th teacher to be in this classroom in the past 5 years, so I'm sure she's just about ready to rip her hair out half the time, but you'd never know it. She's very good about mentioning things that have been done in the past, in a kind and not pushy way. I love that. When I can't come up with anything creative, I ask her, and she's always willing to bounce ideas. And she makes me laugh. That's important in an aide. I've been struggling with exactly what tasks to give her. She's currently meeting with all of my reading groups each day so that they meet with both of us, and have time to do 2 different center rotations. I'd love to have a set group of things for her to do, mostly so that she's comfortable, and also so I don't have to "plan" for her.

 I need a desk. When our building was renovated a few years ago, they put in this row of cabinets practically in the middle of the room with a "desk" built in. It's a glorified countertop, and there's not enough room for me to sit at it when there's kids in the room. I found a small section at the back of my room the perfect size for a teacher desk. I found a teacher desk in the empty room down the hall. (Yes, I went hunting, don't judge me). I asked. It's mine. I can't wait.

 A friend of mine once told me that she tries to plan out the following week by Tuesday of the week before. I tried it a few times, and it really helped keep me sane. I slacked off most of a few times and it didn't keep me sane. I want to have my copies run, and have my plan book filled by Tuesday, so I'm not scrambling anymore.

I need to find a home for my things, which will hopefully be solved when I have a *real* desk. I have a home for most of the student materials, but not all of them. Sometimes they don't know where to put things, and when they ask, I make it up. I want to end this scenario. I hope that putting in a teacher desk will therefore open up a large amount of counter space to use for student materials.

Do YOU have any big plans for next year??