Hi. It's me.

I've been reading teaching blogs for a few years now, soaking in all that my fellow teachers are sharing and I have to say it's been wonderful! I love seeing what other teachers are doing and how they have been successful in their classrooms.

This year has been going very well for me (where's the wood to knock on? I KNOW I should never actually ADMIT it out loud). My students are kind, cooperative (most of the time) and love to learn.  Of course, I still have all the regular problems, but they aren't as overwhelming this year.  Whether that's due to this particular class or me becoming a more competent teacher, I'm not sure...Whatever the reason is - I'll take it!
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One thing I have learned this year thanks to our friend, The Two Sisters is to work SMARTER not HARDER.  Here are a some of my kiddos during "Read to Self" time which they love!

Reading under the tables in a privilege the students worked toward as a class.

Found a quiet corner to read.

Students also have lots of book choices and we try to go "book shopping" frequently to keep the items in their book boxes new and at their current level.

When you're a newbie though, you have no idea what that means.  You're doing the best you can but also working harder than you ever thought you could.  However, this year I was able to let go and give my students the responsibility for their own learning. My principal is a big proponent of ensuring students are responsible for their learning and their behavior and therefore, I have really taken that lesson to heart.
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I don't do the Daily 5 EXACTLY like it is written (although I would love to, my school curriculum does not allow for that). HOWEVER, I was able to mix the "essence" into my centers and I'm telling you...I LOVE IT!  The students are engaged and I am able to sit down with the children that really need to see my without being disturbed. I will definitely keep this up next year.