This is the first day of my blog and I'm really excited to bring you a look into my classroom every day. Not only are you going to be able to walk into my classroom and see what's going on, but now you can get into my head, see the good days and the bad days, and understand how a teacher gets through the ups and downs of a school week.
Here are 3 ways we are encouraging you to be a part of the model classroom:
1. COME VISIT! My door is always open. Pop in during flex time to see the Behavior Management Cycle in action or watch the steps of the lesson cycle. Make sure to sign the red Observation Binder before you leave so I can follow up with any questions or comments! :)
2. Keep up to date with the 2 bulletin boards outside of my classroom. I will be tracking data, making strategic decisions, and posting my lesson plans so you can see how I deconstruct the parts of the lesson cycle in a clear and effective way.
3. Read this blog! :) I will be spending time reflecting on my classroom, answering questions from the Observation Binder, and passing along other tips throughout the next 3 weeks. This is a great resource you can use from the DSU dorms to get in touch and get some practical advice.
Before jumping into the content of this blog, I want to spend the first post giving some background about myself because I don't think you can really understand a classroom until you get the whole story.
I just finished my 3rd year in the Delta (all three years have been at the Quitman County Elementary School). I was supposed to teaching 3rd grade ELA after Institute then a week before school I was told I was teaching 1st grade. Initially, I was really scared...but as the year went on and I found my support group throughout the school (Ms. Cozad, Ms. Crowell, Mrs. Wheeler, Ms. Billingsley, and Ms. Weisenberger), I grew to really love the age group.
That love of 1st graders has never changed, but my skills as a teacher definitely have. My classroom was not well-managed or well-taught my first year. I look back on that year and feel a real sense of guilt that I was not able to do more for my kids. I know I tried my best, but I was not the best teacher for my kids that year. However, instead of giving up, this motivated me to do better. So much of teaching is learning from your mistakes, borrowing from other teachers and developing a style all your own. THIS TAKES TIME! For those of you who are stressing because your classroom is not running well right now, please remember that this is day 6 of real teaching. DAY 6! I was not an effective teacher at day 6, and honestly, I am sometimes not an effective teacher after year 3. I am opening the doors to my classroom and my data so you all can see that I don't have all the answers, that my students will struggle too, and that what makes a great teacher is being able to ADAPT to those struggles and do what's best for your students. Together, I hope we are able to HONESTLY reflect on our teaching practices, brainstorm effective solutions, and continually increase our own effectiveness.
Remember, great teachers are MADE and not BORN. We are in this together and I hope this blog (and my classroom) can help MAKE you the best teacher possible this summer and beyond.
Please reach out with any personal questions or concerns to lisa.ann.castellano@gmail.com
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