First day of school

This is my third year at The Foote School and sixth at NHCLS.  What a nice feeling knowing you are returning to a familiar and friendly workplace!  You no longer need to impress your peers or walk on eggshells that may or may not cut your feet.  I have a different classroom this year, but the unpacking really does not faze me

There are now more detailed preparations I busy myself with: 

• How about some fun first day activity?  I decided to do the Name Game in my sixth grade class this year.  Thanks to Creative Language class!

• What will I post on the walls that will be more conducive to student learning?  Instead of glossy posters and excessive artifacts, I am going to be more critical about everything I put up.  I want students to be able to look up and find answers and clues everywhere.  Every time they search for these words, they are learning.

• What classroom commands are useful in helping my students stay in target language?  I listed stock phrases or "language chunks" that can make things "happen".  What better way do we show our students that language is real than teaching them things that make things happen! (i.e. 我可不可以___？  ___怎麼說？  老師, 我有一個問題。etc.)

• Do I do a review unit or go straight into the new content, and review along the way?  After planning a number of review activities, I joined last week's #langchat forum.  I wonder if it would be more productive to learn new materials right away, and "integrate previously studied concepts throughout the year".  Some thought-provoking ideas, games and thoughts were shared generously on langchat.  See langchat summaries for details. 

All in all, I love first days.  September is when we are the freshest, most prepared and positive, because we have all summer to freshen up, and we have yet to encounter new obstacles that bog us down in this 9-month marathon.  Even though some of us have had the same students, every September, they get bigger, more mature, and more eager to see us again.  I embrace September when it finally hits, and I can't wait to tell my students that!

Have a great year, my friends!