As I embark upon a new school year, I take some time to reflect over the past year. I take a look at my “Keep/Start/Stop” notes and try to think about what I spent most of my time outside of class time doing.
In years past, I have done this as well. Every year I figure out what I spent so much time on and, more importantly, HOW I can fix that for future me! One year, I realized I liked having weekly quizzes, but spent weekend time grading. So, I created a way to make grading them automated. One year, it was pencils and never having sharpened pencils. The next year I started with a system of having a student sharpen at the end of each day and created a specific place for sharpened and unsharpened pencils. This cut WAY down on ME spending time picking up pencils and sharpening them every day. I created a way to make it automated.
This year, it is the darned objectives! Like these I made for my world language classes this year:
UGH!! I spent so much valuable time every morning or afternoon writing them for all 4 of my preps. Here in Texas, there seems to be a BIG push for them to be posted every day on the board. Our admin even came by to check they were there. (No, this isn’t a post about how I KNOW students do not read the dang things. LOL). Anyway, I was thinking this is the thing I need to automate for myself this coming year. I have seen a lot of flip charts for dates, so I thought…why not flip charts for objectives? I will NEVER have to write another objective on the board! HERE is a link to the FREE level 1 for LOTE in Texas (basically ACTFL) if you want to check them out and maybe use the idea to automate YOUR objectives.
Whether it is objectives or pencils or grading… I hope you find a few minutes before the year starts up to reflect and find your one thing to make your future self thank you!
Happy Teaching!
Alana
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Sra. K. Spanish 