Warner Update
Making a difference, one person at a time
When Experience Hurt Me
Typically most of my planning took place on Friday after school or Sunday in the comfort of my living room.
I still remember watching Game Shows and getting ideas on how to spice up lessons. I was always a fan of incorporating fun into my lessons and I knew kids enjoyed game shows. I remember playing, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader, Family Feud and others.
During my first few years I remember lesson planning often taking many hours. That being said, some weeks my planning was minimal and those were often the weeks that I felt getting through the day was an accomplishment.
and so the story begins...
After a few years of teaching fifth grade I began to feel comfortable with the content and my pacing was strong. I was beginning to feel pretty good about things.
That's when I lost my edge. I remember getting pretty lax with my lesson planning. I began jotting down notes and doing things very similar to how I'd done them in the past. Instead of being on the cutting edge and making my lessons the best they could be, I chose to go for comfort and speed in my planning. I simply stopped putting in the time to develop and create strong lessons.
On a particular gloomy Friday I sat in my classroom and thought about why the week was rough. Discipline was on the rise. Student engagement was low. I was in full blown survival mode. That's when I opened a few of my cabinets and stumbled across a box of my old note card lesson plans. The top card caught my eye. It said, Strong Anticipatory Set and then had specifics on how to capture the attention of students. I then flipped through the next few note cards and I sat back in my chair. It was at that very moment that I realized the younger me OUTWORKED the current me.
Often times we believe experience trumps all...I dare say...not so fast.
Experience definitely gets the nod when it comes to delivery, understanding standards and dealing with challenging situations. However, experience can also bring comfort zone and complacency. What I went through is what I believe happens to some people. There is no substitute for strong preparation. I guarantee you will set yourself up for many more positive days with strong planning and preparation. Sure you will still have clunker days, but by-in-large you'll have many more good days.
If nothing else ask yourself this question, Am I giving it my all?
If you can't say yes to this question then you likely need to search inside yourself for the answer. Just like I had to on that gloomy Friday in my classroom.
NEXT WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday, Feb. 26th: Digital Learning Day at Warner
Monday, Feb. 26th: Board Meeting 6:30pm
Tuesday, Feb. 27th: Admin Meeting 9am
Tuesday, Feb. 27th: Health Dept Screening at Warner
Wednesday, Feb. 28th: Grades 3-5 Assembly in the Gym with Mrs. Kelly (Jump Rope For Heart)
Wednesday, Feb. 28th: Health Dept Screening at Warner
Wednesday, Feb. 28th: PLC Wednesday see notes below...
Thursday, March 1st: Annemarie Johnson Prof. Development scheduled AM/PM
Thursday, March 1st: CP Federal Credit Union
Friday, March 2nd: Reading Month Kickoff (more info coming soon)
Friday, March 2nd: Last Day with Mrs. Walker
* PLC Wednesday: Encouraged focus this week is grades K & 1, 2 & 3, 4 & 5 all meet and discuss vertical alignment. Here is a link to a document that can lead to good conversation.
* 5D+ Observations continue