New (School) Year's Resolutions

I'm not one to make a New Year's resolution. I do, however, set a new school year's resolution EVERY year. So, I thought I'd check in to see how well I'm doing with meeting those goals. 

My first goal this school year was to use Reciprocal Teaching during our reading block. I have been a peer-reviewed-reading-journal-addict lately and I am learning so much about best practices and all that good stuff. I wanted to fully implement the strategies used in reciprocal teaching. These strategies are the strategies good readers use without even thinking about it. I had taught the strategies before, but I wanted to start on day 1. I have and the kids love them.

Goal number two has been to implement Socratic Seminar in my classroom. Although I have not done this completely, I am working on it. I have made some new discoveries along the way, and I have found the power of sentence frames using academic language, which you can read about here. Anyhow, I have found that these academic conversation are a foundational skill for Socratic Seminar.

Goal 3 was to teach/use/coach the growth mindset. I was reading a book, but the school year got in the way. While I'm not currently reading the book, I am using strategies, ideas, words that have been associated with growth mindset. My grading chart uses the word yet. I remind my students it is OK to make mistakes, but to try to learn from them. I'm kind of meeting this goal.

The finals goal was to begin using Hyperdocs in my classroom, which you can also read about right here. I have used them. I love them. The kids love them. We all love them. They are amazing. They are wonderful. But. . . I've used them twice. Not because I'm putting them off, but I was using them at the end of each unit. Beginning this month, we will use them weekly. At least that's my new goal.

So, like I said, I'm not one to make resolutions at the beginning of the year. Maybe it's because my brain works in school years. Whatever you choose, goals are great to have. Attainable goals are even better. Set yourself up for success. Know your limits. Whatever you choose, let it be something that makes you and the world around you better.