“Non-Negotiables"

As I reflect on my summer learning and prepare for the upcoming school year, there are ideas/concepts/practices that I will not give up.

1.  Daily Read-Alouds: Throughout my summer research, I have read a lot about the importance of reading aloud to students.  It is important to read aloud to students daily no matter what age.  This helps students to hear a fluent reader, build comprehension, and be exposed to vocabulary words.   

2.  Classroom Community/Morning Meetings:  Each day, I have a morning meeting with my class where we greet one another and play a community building game.  This helps students to get to know one another and feel part of a team.

3.  Cliff/Cliffette:  It is important to me that I build a positive relationship with all my students.  I want all my students to feel noticed and important.

4.  Play:  Kids need to play.  I want to incorporate more play into my classroom this year.  I want my students to have fun and build positive relationships with one another.

5.  Instructional Strategies: I want to continue to use a variety of teaching strategies.  Last year, I incorporated Marzano’s six step vocabulary process.  This is something I plan on using again this year.