First Days Of School

The kids are back and navigating school like pros. I watched as they confidentially (or sometimes a little timidly) walked through the halls looking for their new teacher and their classrooms.  There were lots of smiles, excitement and enthusiasm in the halls this morning, with a little bit of nervousness mixed in.  I saw lots of pastel colors today, some glitter, a Pokemon or two, and a bright blue cape as my students headed to their correct places.  Students were eager to start the day and get to know their new teachers.

As a pull out teacher, it is my job to help the kids find their spots and settle in.  The teachers have been notified that they have a gifted student in their class and my schedule is being set.  

Soon the teachers will be assessing all of their kiddos in math and reading and trying to figure out what they know and what they need to learn this year.  They will do this with the i-ready test in our district and probably give the end of module test as well.  We will plan, pre-assess, and determine what the students need to work on in the coming month.

This year, we are trying to pair tightly with the teachers and support the work that they are doing in their classroom. If a student is struggling with social-emotional work, I will do some lessons in SAGE/PEP on the topic and work on it in a small group. If students are needing more practice explaining their thinking, we will work on this concept in SAGE.  Additionally, when the schedule allows, SAGE will also take place in the general ed. classroom as a push-in service.  That means I will meet with students in their classroom sometimes, and support their needs in that setting. 

I am eager to be with my kids. I like scheduling and planning and curriculum, but the reason I became a teacher was because its enjoyable to be with students. I can't wait until I get to see them on September 9th and we get to start the year together.  

Happy start of the 2024-2025 school year!