In a nutshell:  You can't use every idea every year.  Pick the ones you like best, and the ones that address your management weaknesses the most, and concentrate on them.  You can always try it a different way later in the year, or the following year.

Here is how I reflect on my teaching practices and plan new strategies.  This is an ongoing process, but the summer is a natural time to really think things out and get everything in order.


1.  What aspects of teaching did I stop enjoying this year?  I kept falling behind on my grading; therefore I need to re-evaluate the type and quantity of assignments I give and when and how I grade them.  My math warm-ups got really dull, so I need to find a book or internet resource to give me some fresh ideas.  Science was such a pain- I need to figure out a way to make it more hands-on and get my materials together in advance so I'm not scrambling around at the last minute.

2.  What concepts or skills did the students have a lot of difficulty mastering?  Converting measurements, telling time, adding details to sentences, and using proper punctuation were concepts my kids struggled with all year.  I also had a hard time getting them to slow down and check over their work.  Also, I had a big problem with stealing in the classroom, and name-calling persisted among a small group of children no matter what I did.  The methods I used to address these issues, both academic and social, were obviously not as effective as they could have been, so I need to read, visit chatboards, search the 'net, and collaborate with my team-mates to develop better strategies.

3.  What type of students do I want to produce?  What's the main thing I want all my students to remember from spending a year with me?  I want my students to want to learn, and recognize that learning takes place everywhere all the time, not just in school.  I want them to question what they are taught and critically analyze what their friends say, what they read and see on TV, and the messages society sends.   Therefore, I need to point out inconsistencies and mistakes in texts, teach analyzation strategies in reading, use current events in social studies, and teach students to be active and not passive learners.  I need to plan for specific strategies to reinforce these priorities on a regular basis and not get caught up on whether students can round to the nearest hundred or identify a noun without relating those lessons in a meaningful context.

Collecting Ideas When I read an idea I like in a magazine:  Rip it out (or photocopy) and file by subject (such as for a lesson on money) or by month (such as a winter activity).  Sometimes I save a few magazines and photocopy all at once, or have a volunteer do it. When I read an idea in a book I like but don't own:  Use sticky notes to mark the pages I want to photocopy.  If the idea is very brief, I may copy it on a sticky note and place the sticky in my 'To Be Filed' pile.  When I do my filing, I just put the sticky on the inside of the appropriate folder. When I read an idea in a book I do own:  I put a checkmark by the idea if I think it's worth remembering, two checks if it's something I'd like to try, and a star if it's something I absolutely must do.  I keep several sticky notes inside the front cover, labeled with: "To Make", "To Photocopy and File", "For Games Index Cards", "For Kids to Make".   As I read ideas I like, I write the page numbers down on the appropriate sticky.   I differentiate between materials I need to gather and create, and things the kids can color, cut, or get together for me, since the things they can do usually get accomplished right away.  I'll often prioritize different ideas on the stickies by starring anything I want to make or get together right away. When I read an idea for a game:  Sticky note and photocopy, then cut out and glue to an index card.  The front of the card has the directions, and the back has the category the game goes under (math, spelling, etc.), my adatations and reflections, and symbols indicating how much prep time is needed, whether it's active or quiet, and if it's a team game or an individual one.  After lamination, the cards are filed in an index card box. This is very time consuming but well worth it.  I do a review game before almost every test I give, and if the rules are written inside some random teacher resource book or buried deep in my file cabinet, I'll never remember or utilize them.  This way, tons of review ideas are literally at my finger tips and require very little planning. When I read something online I like:  Print and file, or, if it's a collection of ideas, cut and paste into a Word document, then print and file. When I see something in another's teachers room or hear about it:  I have a picture phone and try to take a picture to help me visualize it later.  I'll print the photo on regular paper and jot notes on the side.  If it's just something a teacher mentioned to me, I try to write it down on my infamous sticky notes and place it in the 'To Be Filed' pile.  (By the way, sticky notes are on my student's school supply lists.  They use them a lot, too). When I discover an on-going routine or strategy I want to use:  I record the ideas using one of the strategies above, then add it to my year-long idea planner so I can be sure it gets fit in (see more below).

After collecting my ideas and answering the questions above, I begin to organize what I have gathered throughout the year.  Anything theme, skill, or concept related should be filed in the corresponding file folder, so I don't put much thought into those until it's time to teach them.  It's the behavior management strategies, vocabulary builders, routines, socio-emotional activities, and morning meeting ideas that get lost in the shuffle.  At the end of the year, I always feel disappointed that I never got to try a certain game with the class, sing a special song, read a special book, or address a specific world event or problem.

So this year, I created a Year-Long Planner to help me implement all the great ideas I'm just dying to use but never make time to squeeze in.  It's organized by month and category, so that each month I'm using new ideas.  (Things get really old to me very quickly, and kids pick up on a teacher's lack of enthusiasm for an activity and respond in turn).  By trying new ideas monthly, I'll provide enough time to kids to get comfortable and familiar with activities but never let things get tedious.  And of course, I plan to go back and use some of the previous month's ideas from time, especially when the kids request it. 

I've just begun my planner for the 2004-2005 school year as I read some old teacher resource books I never got around to looking at before.   As I add more, I'll upload it to the site so you can see and explain what each activity means.

Here's the planner I've started

Here's a blank planner for you to print or save and type directly into