It's that time! We officially head back to school next week and among asking myself where the summer went I am also starting to think about my goals for the year. I have been blessed to have consistently high test scores at the end of the school year, showing a great deal of growth, but I know I can do better. Students are so much more than data points on a graph. They are so much more than a CCRPI point or a highlighted name on a chart. I m making it my mission this year to engage and reach each learner where they are.
This means a lot of things to me. I want to do a better job of getting to know my students' parents and where they come from. I want to challenge their parents to take back their child's education and see how valuable it is for their future.
I have always been strong supporter of small group instruction. I don't understand how some teachers (especially in the primary grades) don't see that differentiated time as a necessary part of their day. This year I want to make our time together in small groups more meaningful. I plan to do that by tossing out old small group plans that I have used for years and recreating what a small group looks like in my classroom. I anticipate more on this to come in a follow up post, but for now I am committing to a massive overhaul of my small group instructional time.
