dancepulse

As I gear up from summer to back-to-school, the to-do list is long:

• Continue healing from a partial knee replacement.  My knee’s doing beautifully, with range of motion returning, but my energy’s not its normal self yet.
• Integrate structures & concepts from the Readers Workshop.  I started using this material last year, following a week of professional development on Writers Workshop.  Specific things I’m trying to integrate: a focus on the student as developing artist, clear teaching points, mini-lessons with abundant time for independent work, use of mentor videos & texts…
• Reorient myself around a new class schedule.  Last year’s schedule-from-hell is no more (can you hear the fireworks?).  This year I’ll be teaching 1st-5th graders for 60 minutes every other day instead of 30 minutes every day.  Having taught in the public schools for 16 years now, I haven’t had the indulgence of a 60-minute session in about 20 years!  Could be a challenge to plan the right amount & flow of material for awhile…
• Enjoy my last few days of vacation, while getting ready for what’s to come…

It’s a beautiful day & I’ve already worked for awhile on Goals 1-3, so I’m ready for Goal 4.  On the way out into the sunshine, I’ll stop at the thrift store & get some plain white shirts — for 5th grade girls who spend all their time in dance class trying to keep their bellies covered by tugging at their short tops & low-cut jeans!  Maybe I’ll even get some belts for the boys, who have to keep their hands on their sagging pants all the time!

Happy transitioning!