Change is Scary!

As the new school year approaches, I am using the few work-free days of summer I have left to prepare. I am so excited about teaching the amazing students of the EACPA. I have a tendency to get so enthusiastic about what all innovations I want to implement that I forget to figure out how to implement them! Procedures, it turns out, are humongously important!

Change, even good change, is stressful for me. I'm glad that I've figured that out about myself. I've noticed that when I'm stressed, I get disorganized and forget about my normal routines. So I'm going to use this space to write a couple high-priority items on my to-answer list. Students, I hope you take time to nail out the ways you're going to actually accomplish all of your dreams.

So...
1. Decide on class- and homework expectations and decide on procedures for students to follow. Where will the warm-up be in the classroom? Where will students turn in their homework? How will students make up classwork from days when they're absent? What do I expect out of an A+ assignment? What is passing?

2. Brainstorm skills practice if FastMath is not ready on day one of school. How will I track students' progress without the software? Perhaps I should give students internet-search assignments until the software comes in.

3. Post "This is important..." poster

4. Gradesheets? Homework? Individual math plans?

5. Homework for first few weeks from The Organized Student

6. How to keep parents involved? Are signed weekly progress reports sufficient?

Lots to ponder with this change, but knowing that can be empowering. Students, by the time you read this, I will (I better!) have implementation procedures that we can mold together to pave the way to your success! (procedures that we mold and pave...what kind of mixed up analogy is that?)