Friday, August 3, 2012

Goals for the New School Year

There are several things that I've been contemplating setting as some "goals" as I begin the new school year.  It's kind of like having a New Year's resolution, but for the school year.  I think it's good to set some goals and motivate myself in several ways.  

These goals have to do with a little bit of everything, both inside and outside of the classroom.  I guess I have a wide range of things I want to work on.

  1. Get up earlier.  I'm sooooo not a morning person and I'm on an awful sleep schedule right now.  I've totally mastered the bed, shower, door in less than 30 minutes routine.  I love taking time to do my hair and makeup, though, and would like to get away from doing just the bare minimum (or finishing at stoplights along the way).  I also live a teensy bit further from school now, so I'd like to try to get up about 15 or 20 minutes earlier so that I'm not so rushed getting to school in the mornings.
  2. Be more creative with what I wear AND plan my outfits ahead.  I'd say I started on this goal last year and made some progress.  I get into a rut of wearing the same things over and over.  (Black pants everyday I'm not wearing jeans?  Guilty!)  I'm definitely in the market for some more work pants that aren't black!  
  3. Enter grades online each week.  I'm supposed to do this, but I'm totally guilty of not sticking to it.  Once the year gets rolling I want to designate one day / plan period a week that I will consistently update grades online.  I keep up on grading papers just fine, but for some reason getting them into the computer isn't my strong point.
  4. Blog more during the school year.  I really slumped off of blogging last fall, but I've been so into it this spring and summer I hope to keep up momentum!
  5. Eat healthier.  I love summer for the fact that I have more time to prep my meals.  My school is pretty much in the middle of nowhere (sort of), so thankfully, I'm not all that tempted to go swing through a drive-thru during lunch since that would take up most of my break.  I'd like to break away from my Lean Cuisines and frozen meals a bit more and whip up more salads or make dinners that will provide me with leftovers.  
  6. Consistently send out my classroom newsletter.  Some years I'm super consistent with my newsletter and other years (like last year), I'm a little more relaxed with my timing.  My goal is to send one home each week.  We have so many short weeks that I skipped a lot last year or forgot to write it until the day I wanted to send it home.  I also want to go back to e-mailing it out to parents since I got great feedback when I did that a few years back.  It's a little more effort, but I think it's totally worth it and super convenient for parents.
  7. Workout right after school.  I go through phases with my workouts and when I like to go during the school year.  The Y by my house is super packed from about 5 to 8 p.m., so I sometimes prefer to go later and dodge the crowd.  But, that usually doesn't put me getting home and showered until at least 9:30 or 10 p.m.  Plus, parking at my new apartment isn't the best, so getting home earlier and staying in would be a plus.  I don't see this goal being much of a problem right now, but once after school tutoring starts it's going to be a real struggle since that adds an extra hour to my school day.
  8. Integrate technology more in my classroom.  I use technology everyday, but I want to do more to get the kids using it on a daily basis as well.  I'm hoping for a new Mimio strip this fall and that will definitely motivate me to get more interactive!
  9. Go to bed at a decent time.  It's the middle of the night and I'm writing this post...  Geez.  During the school year I shoot to be in bed between 10 and 11 p.m.  The problem is that I then get on my iPod or laptop in bed, plus watch TV.  I'm going to try to limit the computer time and be off by 10 p.m.  This is honestly probably going to be one of the hardest goals for me to stick to, but getting to bed earlier will help me get up earlier.
  10. Praise my students more.  I feel like I'm a pretty positive teacher on an average day.  I try not to let the kids see me get stressed or upset, but I do feel like I need to be more consistent with celebrating with them at times.  I think this year may come with its challenges, so keeping a positive attitude and building my students up is going to be something I consciously work on.
What are your goals for the upcoming school year?  
Do you have any tips for me to help me achieve my goals?




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