My First Full Week

Tomorrow I begin my second full week of teaching 8th grade Language Arts! Last week was exhausting and scary, but I also learned SO much more in just one week than I ever thought possible. I already know all of my students' names and am learning more about each one of them every day. I am attempting to keep a journal of this first year, so that I can learn from what I'm doing - both the good and the bad - and use it be an even better teacher next year. So far, I have learned how incredibly important it is to be consistent with this age group. Their critical thinking skills are REALLY kicking into high gear at this stage, and if there is even a hint of inconsistency, they will notice! They have also developed very strong sense of what they see as fair and right and wrong. This has the potential to make for wonderful, thought-provoking class discussion! I've begun making weekly fliers to email to my parents using Smore.com. They seem to be very much appreciated, and as a parent to school-age children, I know that I want as much feedback and information as possible. I hope this second week goes even more smoothly than the first. Happy Sunday!