September 1, 2014

I have had 10 PD days with DCPS/DC3 and 5 days with students as the 5th grade writing teacher. So far, so good!!

Today, the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, my goal is to process all the information shared over the past 3 weeks. I plan to spend time doing the following:
* look closely at the school calendar and understand the important dates occurring at Janney overall and specific with the 5th grade.
* read the Personal Narrative On-Demands completed on Tuesday by the 5th graders and be ready to make a plan with my writing co-teacher (yes, 3 days during our school's 6 day week, I have another adult in the room! The other 3 days she supports the 4th grade writing teacher).
* add my notes and words of wisdom heard at the 14th Annual National Book Festival to my other blog. I so enjoyed my day yesterday that began with author Kate DiCamillo and ended in song with the author of Pete the Cat!! I can't wait to share all I heard with my writing students!!
* plan out the powerpoint lesson plans for Tue-Fri of next week! I have been using this format to help me ensure that I say the same info to each of my 4 classes. I'll admit that by the 3rd rotation, I start to question if I've said something so the ppt is mostly for me to clearly start the teaching lesson of each day. The ppt also helps my co-teacher know what I did on the days she is not in the room and helps her to see what I'm planning for those days she is in the room (C, D, and F days!).

I think I better stop blogging and get to work! But as I remarked in my last post, I can't wait to go to work on Tuesday!! By then I'll be well planned, I'll be teaching a writing unit that I'm used to teaching - personal narrative; I'll know my writers strength and needs and have a beginning plan to help them grow based on their On-Demand; and I'll be returning to a Responsive Classroom school where the students are used to sharing and playing and working collaboratively together.

I have been telling my friends from the district that I left that this school seems too good to be true...will it continue to be what now I think of as "my dream school"? Instead of spending time thinking about it, I'm just going to appreciate all that I know about Janney now and place lots of energy into getting my To Do List done today so Tuesday is another fun day of teaching!!