Summer

Posted by Tammy Andrew Jul 30, 2008

As the end of my summer teaching position quickly approaches I find myself already looking ahead to fall. I know my teaching schedule, but will not have my student lists until shortly before class starts. I wonder if my room will be ready or if I'll have to search out some of my furniture or equipment in other classrooms. I think about how to change the layout of the furniture to better promote learning. But I know these are thoughts that are curious but not productive.

I also find myself with some time to get ahead. Since my organizational skills are somewhat haphazard (I still am using the hanging file labels I inherited in a file cabinet 12 years ago even though I no longer have the cabinet and never put papers under a label that would make sense) I have been searching for ideas as to how to better organize my files. I am also going through some binders of lesson plans and project ideas and getting rid of old ones that are no longer useful and reorganizing the keepers. This is a project I never have time to do during the regular school year.

A friend mentioned teaching philosophies recently and I found myself reflecting on my own philosophy; what events and educational philosophers contributed to it and how it has changed over the years. Though the needs of students are not far from my thoughts while teaching I found it refreshing to revisit the ideas of past and present contributors to our educational system.