Priorities to be achieved before school goes back 2014

In preparation for 2014 I have been reading up on some of the ideas I want to improve on for this year.  So for reading:  daily 5, the cafe book, book whisperer.  Result of that lot is I am emptying my bookshelves of Childrens books and taking them into school.  Plus I have brainstormed how daily 5 might look in my class.  This needs more thought yet.  For writing I have reread bits of Lucy calkin and Gail Loanes book.  So this year I am going to try writers notebooks again probably using 3b1's initially then challenging students to buy something lovely when they fill the 3b1.  I have also added writing form notebook to daily 5 mindmap.

For inquiry projects I have browsed a selection of books as you can see from my kindle screenshots.   Some deserve a closer read.  My biggest need here is coming up with authentic real problems to investigate!

I have Registered for a flat classrooms project and quadblogging aotearoa.  We are going to be busby!

I have decided to start the year with bounce back social skills teaching.  One of the benefits of small communities is that I have prior knowledge of my students.  Skills in friendship, negotiations, assertiveness vs aggression are badly needed by some of the incoming students.

And then I need to do planning paperwork, have the new Principal around for afternoon tea, get start of the year assessments done, tidy up last years computer files and set up this years, get new tables made by my patient husband and a pile of other set up the learning environment stuff.  The great thing about a flexible learning environment is the lack of desks and seating layouts to sort out.  I do want to try Train the teachers bucket idea this year and give each student a few surprises for that first day back.

Of course now I that I look at this list I wonder how to fit it around a new dog, quilting, making clothes, sewing next years Christmas presents, learning to code, !earning French (great free app called duolingo) and playing computer games.  I think relaxing and socialising is firmly at the top of my list for another week.  Thankfully school goes back on the 7th February so I have time yet.