Emergency Sub Plans

Lists are the one easiest things for a new writer to use to organize her thoughts, so forgive me while I list away until I get my writing mojo back. At the end of the school year, I start compiling data from my students' work--what does their writing show that I need to teach better next year?  What did they master?  How did I help them achieve mastery? And then I start asking them questions--What did I do well this year as a teacher?  What improvements do I need to make?  What did they like in the curriculum?  What did they hate?  How do they feel they have grown?  How could I have supported their growth better? Here is what I've gleaned: 1.  Most students love musical partners.  What this tells me:  I need to incorporate more movement and more music into my classroom this year.  I need to research games that contain movement and/or music, and I need to craft a class playlist.  I've been playing music as my students ...

What I've learned throughout the pandemic.  A note for the future Jami who will forget and maybe you. 1.  A lesson I already knew:  Students thrive on positive feedback; especially when they can't see your face.  Remember this future Jami--You created "Digitally Jolly Ranchers" and projected good student work daily.  Do this next year.  Students are exposed to good work daily, and it honors those who are listening, learning, and applying what they have learned.  Future Jami, you also may want to figure out how to create some type of digital bulletin board. 2.  I like being home.  Big time.  It's my favorite place in the world.  I also like making my home comfortable and beautiful.  Don't forget that, Future Jami.  You like projects.  Do them.  Don't drag your feet.  You might like projects better than (or at least equal to) naps. 3.  Jami, you are more productive at night.  It's your natural ...

Sitting in my chair--the chair that has become an extension of me during quarantine--I felt this overwhelming need to write.  I usually can quell this feeling with a FB post, or just scrolling absently through my feed, but today there are a lot of big thoughts. Maybe this is because the section in Disciplines for the Inner Life  that I am lackadaisically reading is on journaling.  My first thought when I read that "Journalling" is the title the of the chapter I'm supposed to be almost finished with today (I took a three day break, so, um, yeh) was (also, I'm not proofreading these verbs.  Feel free to proofread mentally if that's your thing.  I'll only judge you mildly.)  "Sigh.  Another chapter to make me feel guilty about the loser I am at all things I'm supposed to be doing in my life."  See I have this constant tension--the me I should be and the me I actually am.  I should wake up at 5 and get myself emotionally prepared for the day ah...