This is the last real day where I won't be thinking of students endlessly. This year I hope to use my experiences to enrich their lives and simplify my work. When I think about the last four years, I have been experimenting quite a bit with some conclusions concerning what doesn't work in terms of classroom management. What isn't as clear is how to make my systems work seamlessly. With early childhood classes the key is to set up a routine that works fairly effortlessly. I have ideas already, but need some charts and check in systems to make things more visible. I want to have a schedule, a bathroom system, nurse passes, and several other classroom time savers that will make it easy for Kindergarten to 1st graders to understand what is expected. Tomorrow I want to make a list of those ideas and work on them on the two days when I have very few students. I need to mark the floor with tape, so it is easier to line up students and then make these seats for the semester. I will make changes based on what works/doesn't work and then plan which activities will be part of the first full week. That is the preliminary work up I have in mind, but know that I will think of other things as the day goes along.
I think of it as the story that the room will tell the students from the moment they step into the room and how it makes them feel valued. I hope to live up to this expectation, but if not, I will learn from what doesn't work.
