Okay, some of you have seen this, but I've created an actual page for Inspiring Teachers. If you love what we do here, please become a fan and join our group! To find us, do a search from your main facebook page (top right corner) for Inspiring Teachers. Our page and group will show up. You can become a fan of our page and share it with others. I'm posting events (places where I'll be) and other information there as well.

Also, please write on our wall and share some of the creative and inspiring things you are doing in your classroom! Let's get a collection of awesome ideas going for other teachers to read and use. I'd love to hear from all of you who are active on Facebook! If you don't have a page, it is so easy to join. Click on the link below and follow the directions.

Click Here to go to Facebook.com

Weekly Tip: Winter Break: A Time for Recharging and Preparing

Winter Break is a time for resting, relaxing (hopefully not stressing about the holidays), and reflecting. You may be feeling worn out from the long semester. Perhaps you feel as though your batteries have been drained completely. Yet, at the same time you may also be thinking ahead and worrying about what you’ll do when the students return in January. However, as much as you may feel you have to keep going, during that first week of break put school and teaching completely out of your mind. Concentrate instead on family/friends and enjoy the company around you. Then, midway through the break spend a little time gearing up for the new semester. You need to spend at least a day or two contemplating your classroom and lesson planning. Why?

First, the new semester is like a fresh start. It is the perfect time to introduce/ re-introduce procedures, expectations, and classroom routines. Take some time to reflect over your expectations and procedures from last semester. Are there some changes you would like to make? This is the time to do it. Make posters of your expectations and procedures if you haven't already. Also, when planning, be sure to schedule time during the first week to re-train your students in classroom procedures/routines.

Hint:  It takes 27 days to form a habit. You want your procedures to be an ingrained habit, so it is helpful for you to follow the same procedures/routines every single day. If you veer from the routine, it will take longer to build these habits. Example of a procedure/routine: Everyday students come in, check their mailbox, get out their supplies, and start writing in their journal before the bell rings.

If you feel you did a great job with expectations and procedures during the last semester, excellent! Make sure you take some time to refresh your students' memories. Some good habits get forgotten during the break. Treat the first few days of the new semester as though it were the beginning of school all over again.

Also, if you have been unhappy with your room setup, brainstorm ways you might change it before the kids come back to school. There is usually one or two days of staff development prior to the first day back. This would be a good time to change around the desks or tables.

Secondly, it is important to have an idea of what you plan to teach. At the very least, take some time to plan out the first week of school after the break. However, you should try to brainstorm a list of topics/skills/objectives you want to teach over the course of the next six weeks. Use a graphic organizer and/or calendar to help you keep track of your ideas to use when you are ready to write out detailed lesson plans. Remember, good planning is essential to effective teaching!

Next, keep in mind that students often change over the break. I don't know why or how this happens, but for some reason many students change personalities over the course of Winter Break. Be prepared for this. You may find that students who were meek and well-behaved are now talking out and being more familiar with you (not maintaining the student-teacher relationship). Remember that having expectations and procedures in place will help keep these behaviors to a minimum. As the spring semester continues, you'll find that student behavior tends to get worse. By taking time to train students to develop good habits (following expectations and procedures), you should alleviate some of these problems. They never go away completely, but at least you won’t be bald by the end of the school year from pulling out your hair. :)

Just remember, you do not need to spend every waking minute of your break thinking about and planning for the new semester. You need your rest. Work out at the gym or watch a couple of great movies. Read a good book. Most of all, take time to enjoy the company of family and friends. Recharge those batteries and get ready for round two!

Take care and have a wonderful Break!

We will resume the newsletter on the second Friday of January, 2009.