First Post

I don't really know where this blog will go, but I've been wanting to start one for a long time. Last year inspired me and reignited my love of reading, writing, teaching, and technology. I want to write about these things. While I hope that people eventually read what I have to say, the point for me is really to help myself reflect and organize my thoughts in one place. I also think it will be fun to read old posts in a few years...hopefully this will be a way to watch myself grow as a teacher and maybe even as a writer. 


I thought a good place to start would be with reflecting about last year's goals and setting new goals for this year. 


Reflections about 2010-11 school goals: 

• Keep a positive attitude. -hmmm...I'd say I was able to do that about 70% of the time. Not bad!
• Mind my own business. -I'm getting there
• Don't take on more than I can handle. -March was rough, but otherwise, any overflow was due to my own procrastination.
• Grade most written assignments on turnitin.com (be green!).-success!!
• Go to the gym three days after school per week. -overall I give myself an A for this, but there were some times where I didn't stick to this. We can't win 'em all.
• Keep my iPhone in the car when I go into the building. -not even a little bit, but I decided after writing these goals that this one really shouldn't be here anyway.
• Find a fun and fair way to use udemy as a valuable part of class. -success!
• Listen to student feedback about udemy and adjust accordingly. -success! Still tweaking to get it to be where I want it to be, but the online component transformed our class. 
• Create more detailed discussion guides to focus discussion more. -I get a B- on this...I did improve, but I need to be more consistent.
• Start giving lit quizzes again. -I got better. Still needs work.
• Get a normal bedtime. -I was doing so well with this, but I fell off the wagon a lot toward the end of the year. It is a priority again this year.
• Drink enough water. -Usually. 
• Don't bite nails. -This didn't happen during the school year, but I'm optimistic now that I have the color gels.
• Don't do schoolwork on Saturdays. -I actually came to enjoy my Saturday B&N time, so I can't complain that I didn't stick to this.
• Wear makeup more often. -Still not nearly enough. I should probably go to the MAC store and get some new eye shadow. You know, for motivational purposes only.
• Be at school by 7:15 (leave the house by 6:45). -I stuck with this until winter break and then fell apart in January. Maybe this year I can keep it up until Feb!
• Stay at school till 4:00 three days per week; use the time productively so I don't have to bring work home. -While I did manage my time better, I didn't quite stick to this. 
• Start watching Jeopardy! again. -I did well with this in the fall and winter, but once spring hit, I let myself get too far behind. The Watson week was awesome, though.
• Keep blog updated. -this is referring to my homework blog, not this one (obviously). I'd say I had it updated 90% of the time. Not bad.
• Make lesson plans more detailed. -let's try this again now that I'm using GDocs for LPs.
• No whining! -I'm getting there.
• Crochet something. -I made at hat but frogged it. I think that still counts.
• Cook more. -Yes, and I even started taking cooking classes!
• Keep to-do list updated. -I really, really need to be better at making to-do lists this year.
• Actually do things on to-do list. -Haha. See above.
• Don't get complacent. -I didn't! I'm more fired up than ever before.
• Choose your battles. -I did.
• Stay funny. -How could I not?
• And again (because it's most important), stay positive! -Woo hoo!

New goals for 2011-12 school year:

• Stay positive!
• Get a bedtime routine (10-11pm on weeknights; midnight on weekends).
• Read every night before bed.
• Put away the tech (except Kindle) by 10pm on school nights.
• Blog once a week.
• Tweet blog posts and hope for retweets.
• When things are nice, pause and say, "Well if this isn't nice, I don't know what is." 
• Read edtech articles once a week (preferably via Twitter/Tweetdeck).
• Grade all written work within two weeks.
• Take risks and have fun with new IB Lang/Lit curriculum.
• Become comfortable with new IB Lang/Lit curriculum.
• Take a pottery class.
• Continue taking cooking classes. 
• Keep class wiki updated.
• Curb the sarcasm, especially with the frosh (and my mom).
• Keep getting the color gels.
• Make GDocs lesson plans uber detailed.
• Go on dates.
• Go to the gym three days after school per week.
• Add one weekend day to gym schedule.
• Eat right (ice cream is ok).
• Complete the half marathon on October 2 (run/walk is ok).
• Arrive at school by 7:15 every day.
• Stay organized.
• Get an apartment.
• Decorate apartment in a cohesive way. 
• Wear makeup more often.
• Continue going to bookstores/coffee shops to grade.
• No whining!
• Keep a current to-do list.
• Be funny.
• Be assertive but not mean.
• Co-write an article about NBC process.
• Post one new poem or prose piece to Figment every month.
• Learn something new every day.
• Let the students be the teacher from time to time.
• Reread the Harry Potter series when it comes out on pottermore.
• Have fun and laugh every day!