As the new semester begins...Part 1

As the new semester begins, I'd like to share my insights from the fall semester in a post.  In Part 2, I'll write about my next steps.

The key ideas that I’ve learned this semester:

• I need to be more clear with students about the purpose of what we're doing.
• I need to provide more structure for some students.  Some students may need more frequent communication about how they're doing and what they may need to work at or change.  Other students may be able to work independently more easily.
• Also, this can change over time.  Some students might need more support with one unit, and less with another.  I need to be aware of this.
• I need to make routines more regular - for example, make sure that every Friday really is Project Workshop Day instead of rescheduling or postponing it so often.
• I need to include more time for students to reflect and understand the connections between the different activities we do.  This should be part of a regular, predictable routine.  I also can't sacrifice this reflection time for "content" - reflection needs to be part of our "content."
• I should also establish a predictable pattern for grading.  For example, grades are posted twice a week - say, Tuesday & Friday - so students know that they can check School Loop for an update.  I need to make sure that I communicate with students who are not turning in work regularly, and at the beginning of the semester.
• I need to plan time for parent communication, which I am still not doing regularly enough.
• I want to figure out a way to give students a chance to write more often about topics that they choose.
• In Period 5, I want to involve students in making SSR more meaningful for everyone.  What can we do differently so that more students are interested in reading during this time?