Since I was lucky enough to get the job offer for 4th grade at the beginning of the summer, I am not stuck with weeks of time to let my mind wander.
I am beginning the process by planning out two major issues for my classroom. First, I am making a plan on how to keep myself organized! I have chosen to try out one tool this year. I figure I need to give a system a chance to work or fail and have committed to a full year of testing. This year I am going to try Evernote. I love that I can use Evernote for free on my laptop, tablet and phone and have all of my files, contacts etc right at my finger tips. Try Evernote for free in your app store. Available for both Apple and Android.
Once I decided on a system to use this year. I researched how to best use Evernote specifically in the classroom. I just googled "evernote in the classroom" and got a ton of great ideas, webinars and blogs all geared toward teachers trying to get organized! Here is one presentation I found helpful. Again, there are a ton of great resources, just go look.
Evernote For Teachers
Now that I have a system to get ME organized. Its time to think about how to get, and keep my students and classroom organized. I'm off to brainstorm and look for inspiration.
After a long hiatus away from the classroom, I am returning. The call came earlier this week that the school board had approved my application and it was now official. I was free to celebrate and share the news. Of course, that also meant my summer of relaxation was over. My mind was now in overdrive and hasn't slowed down.
Not only am I starting at a new school, in a new district, in a new state, I am starting over in a new grade level with unfamiliar standards. While this all is enough to make me feel overwhelmed, it really is the fact that I am starting my classroom over from nothing again. No classroom library, no collection of amazing lessons broken in by previous classes. Nothing.
I will be blogging throughout this year as a new teacher again. What is working, what is not, what failed miserably. I am no spring chicken right out of college but am up for the challenge. Bring on fourth grade! I am nervously excited to get things started and to be as prepared as possible in August.
