Winding up

As the year finally draws to a close, I am forced to look back at everything that has happened this year and breathe a sigh of relief. Going from a huge 5A school (with approximately 1500 students in 7th and 8th grade alone) to the smallest school in the state (8 high school students) this year has been more of an adjustment that I could ever possibly imagine. I've always considered myself a good teacher, but I never fathomed how long it would take me to adjust lessons meant for 25 or 30 so they would work for 2 or 4. My students and I were able to accomplish so much this year, I honestly think many of them were surprised at how they grew and how much they read. One of my boys is finally becoming a reader (which means I want to make sure I've got lots of stuff he'll want to read next year, so if you've got suggestions please let me know). One of my girls went to state competition for one of her essays (a HUGE deal in our little town that is usually ignored), both of my seniors got into their first choice schools and have received multiple scholarships. Several of my students are freely writing stories to send into a fiction contest this summer (how cool is that!). And overall I truly believe they have a solid foundation now. Since they've grown so much I feel I can push them, and myself, harder next year. I've already started planning and luckily my best friend is willing to help! Teaching 5th thru 12th grade takes A LOT of planning! I found several books this year that I'm ready to delve into to find some new and exciting stuff for my classes. I'm also getting ready to start my 3rd semester of my doctoral program :) The goals and growth this year has produced for both me and my students has been astounding and I hope I can continue to help my students grow while I'm there. I hope to do more regular postings this summer as I continue to plan and learn!