Tuesday, September 3, 2019: A TEACHER’S POST-LABOR DAY THOUGHTS: THEY WERE WORTH THE WAIT…
It’s now Day 5 – the Curtain has lifted and the show has begun! And let me tell you, these kids were worth the wait. Despite the necessary droning on by me regarding all the new routines, procedures, etc., the kids have been engaged, are practicing how to listen well the first time, are asking thoughtful questions of me and of each other, and are increasing their stamina for classroom life. But this week is all about dipping our toes in the pool…
The school pool, that is. Believe me when I tell you that I will challenge your kids this year. But the best way to maximize those challenges is to set them up for success and ease into new expectations one item at a time. Our focus over the next few weeks will be on building a loving, supportive classroom family, learning how to listen well the first time (ask them about “listening with your eyes,” and “ask a friend who listened” strategies), and setting up/using processes and systems for getting work done and staying organized. Finally, a major focus is in asking students to become more reflective about their behaviors and examining how, to be respectful, they need to moderate their behavior for the setting and act differently as a member of a community than they would as an individual at home. An idea our class has explored, related to building and maintaining respectful communities, is that of The Model Citizen. Feel free to ask your child about what it means to be a Model Citizen in any community.
Now to some Factoid Info –
· The “Homework At a Glance” Page in the pink bar above shows nightly homework. Just click on the bright green box and it will pop up bigger.
· The “Parent Place and Student Resource Center” Page (also above) has some great info for parents as well as online copies of many important things the kids will need throughout the year. I do not give out extra copies of these things to kids if they lose them – they can print them from the blog page as needed. There are also docs for parents, such as my Open House Overview.
Your kids are awesome. I fall a little bit more in love each day with these Sweetlings, and I look forward to learning and executing all the ways in which I might help them become their best selves going forward. I have a poster on my door which we discussed as a class that says, “What is Popular is not Always Right…What is Right is not Always Popular.” And while I may not always be popular when asking them to step it up throughout the year, I know in my heart that I will be doing what is right for each of your children for their future success.
Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow – Cathy
The Watson's Winners Blog 