Frequently, I think about what to publish to the world, but the chaos of entering a classroom in the middle of the school year always got in the way. Now that things slowed down, I can take a deep breath, and truly reflect on the past few months. To say the least, it was a challenge to rebuild the structure of a classroom in the middle of the school year. How did I do it?!! Will it be easier next year starting at the beginning? What learning will I bring with me?
Constantly, every moment, hour, and day, I was adapting my teaching to help my students recover from saying good-bye to an old teacher and succeed for the rest of the year. One of the most valuable lessons I experienced is how much my energy affected my students. I think I always knew how energy affected others, but this year I EXPERIENCED it. Regardless of how happy, frustrated, stressed, inspired, or motivated I was, it affected my students. When frustration or tension was in the air, quickly, I learned to move slowly and carefully, simultaneously in my teaching and managing. When I did that, they slowed down. They became more engaged and responsible of their learning. The chaos soon became organized chaos with strides of learning. At the end of the day, that is all any of us ever wanted!
"In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity."-Albert Einstein
This quote sums it up well. While managing two students' behavioral plans (and teaching all of the other students to their level), my classroom management ability went to a whole new level. This summer, I am taking a deep breath, considering all of the strategies that worked and those that didn't, and preparing for next year. What do you do to prepare for the upcoming school year? Have you started teaching in the middle of the year? How did you do it? Thanks, in advance, for your support and advice.
