Moving Forward

So, I haven't blogged in quite awhile. Mainly because I picked up boys track for three weeks (what was I thinking?!) and the research course that kicked my ass. Sadly, I had so much I could have blogged about, but alas, sometimes life just gets in the way.

It was an interesting month at school. Washington and the SBCSC seemed to be everywhere in the news. Not exactly a great way to boost morale when you're already exhausted. However, we will learn from these experiences, and hopefully move on to a better place.

I became department head about two weeks ago. It's a privilege and I have some huge shoes to fill. I'm already thinking ahead to how I can be a positive and instructional leader in the department. I work with so many great people, and I want to find a way for us to truly learn from each other. I also want us to be the most bad ass department in the school and community. Wicked.

So, as I prepare to teach summer school next week, here are some ideas I want to work on:

Teaching my students to be independent (next year, I am spending the first trimester modeling, practicing, talking about expectations until I'm blue in the face, and not moving forward until we nail it).

Finding meaningful ways to engage students who already hate and failed English (daunting, I know).

Setting up a true classroom library (display, everything). It will be smaller in summer school, and easier to manage.

Teaching reading strategies until I'm blue in the face (get it).

Playing with flipped classrooms (if I have computers, you can bet I'm going to do this in summer school).

Doing better at keeping the anger out of me when I react to asinine behavior that makes me want to punch something.

Helping kids know where they are and where they need to be (I have some ideas)

Rigor and relevance :)