Getting Ready for a New Year!

As summer begins to wind down, my thoughts turn towards the classroom and the upcoming year. I went up to the classroom this week to begin the set up for a new year. I was dragging my feet (just a wee bit) until I got to our hallway just outside the door. Do you remember just outside our door where the student's pictures are hanging with the clip below it that they use to display their work? Just looking at those faces filled my heart and suddenly I wasn't dragging my feet anymore. This process of looping is so wonderful. We all know who we are and there's no fear about what the new year holds!

-Yes, we'll be Second Graders this year, the "BIG Ones" in the school. We'll really have to be AWESOME role models in the hallway so that the young ones know how to behave!
-There'll be lots of refinement of the learning we did as First Graders and of course, there'll be NEW things to learn and get good at.

But the big questions like,

•"Who else will be in my class?" and
•"Will I have any friends?"
•"What will my teacher be like?"
•"What will she expect from me?"

THOSE big questions have already been answered and we can focus straightaway on the new skills and learning we will master this year.

My promise to the students at year end was that they would return to the classroom and it would look very similar to what it did at the end of the year-- FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS. Then we would begin to change things out. For instance, our words on the Word Wall would still be there to remind us of all we have learnt in first grade but then we'll take those words down and learn MORE words! Calendar will start out as it did last year but then we'll have NEW math concepts to learn and master.

But, there will be a few things that will different right off.
WARNING!!! I've changed the location of the sofa and the computers! I think the arrangement will be better suited for us and it feels more cozy. (That's an odd word, eh?) I know they will love it but it will also be the first thing they will remark upon walking into our room. I've also moved the "Lightbulb Lab". There's many items from my travels around the world displayed because our Second Grade theme will be "Global Learning". And YEAH! (BIG kudos to me) I've actually organised the classroom library for this year. (I've discovered to my dismay, that the school year is far too busy to accomplish such an immense task.) Also, I'm very excited to implement Whole Brain Teaching this year. The students will love it because it involves their entire brain and body. (Trust me when I say this: Your children need to move and talk to understand and learn.) I'll have more details as the posts go on so that you may understand what your children are doing and learning all those hours they are away from you!

I miss you all so much and cannot wait to see everyone. It's coming up quickly but not fast enough for me (but even as I say that I shudder to think of all I must still accomplish). YIKES! Princess Peach misses the students as well and she's not very happy watching my increasingly dry and brown back garden melt in the heat. She will be quite happy to watch the kids as they move about the classroom again. As will I.

See you soon!