It’s so hard to believe that 2022 is coming to a close! It seems like yesterday that I was flipping over my calendar to a brand new year. But here we are 365 smarter, more resilient, and still ready to tackle anything. And I have 10 teaching lessons to prove it!
I personally love looking back on lessons that I’ve learned and reflected on what I could have done better but also celebrating what I did well! As an enneagram 5, I’m all about knowledge and living life in order to gain a deeper understanding. So without further ado, let’s dive into what teaching lessons I learned in 2022.
Teaching Lessons #1: Give Yourself Grace
I think the word grace has been tossed around a whole lot lately in the teaching world usually in regard to students. But, I need grace too. And if there’s another thing that I’ve learned through teaching is that no one will give you what you need.
And that’s true with getting grace. I have learned that I need to extend grace to myself.
A lesson won’t be perfect. I will forget to prep for a science lab. I will misplace all of my copies and reprint them only to find them again 3 days later.
Giving yourself grace is hard. But I learned that it is much needed. I’m only human and that’s perfectly ok.
What Growth Mindset Strategies I Need
Just like we teach our students, what growth mindset tips do I need to use in my own life? I’m still learning to become a better teacher. Seven years in and I do NOT know it all. While I feel like I should have some things figured out, it’s ok that I don’t. I might know how to do something like how to set up math stations, but I’m still working on what to do with struggling students. Working on what growth mindset strategies I need to use are an ongoing battle but that’s ok! Just like giving grace, a growth mindset wasn’t built in a day.
Teaching Hacks: How to Prep Once and Forget
I’m all about simplicity and preparing for things in advance. I learned this year to create routines and systems that help myself and my students. Tips on 5th grade morning work and how to prepare lesson plans faster, have saved me so much time. I share more about these teaching hacks in this blog post so be sure to check it out!
Teaching Lessons #4: Strategies for Math Intervention
Math intervention is a newer topic that I have stumbled upon and I am loving using this strategy for spiral review. You can read more about my strategies for math intervention stations in this blog post if you want to learn more.
I usually use math stations along with my strategies for math intervention. If you want to learn more about how I utilize math stations in general, then sign up for my FREE 5-part video series below. All of the information on how to start math stations is inside the series. Drop your email address and I’ll send you the videos to watch whenever it makes sense to you!
A better system for math interactive notebooks
I learned that math interactive notebooks aren’t for me. But I love using pronged folders to hold student papers, math anchor charts, and reference tools. These pronged folders have been a lifesaver and the best part is that papers don’t fall out. And no glue is required. My 5th and 6th grade students have been able to keep up with these folders and I like the simplicity of the organization. We can still put all of the same things that I used to put in a math interactive notebook so the students stay organized and have all the required materials. Life changing lesson for sure.
I share everything that I keep in my new and improved math interactive notebooks in this blog post if you want to check it out.
Ideas for Math Posters
This was my most viral post of the year and I’m so happy that I could share all of my ideas for math posters with you guys! From decimal in place value chart ideas to sharing strategies for adding and subtracting, I loved the math anchor chart inspiration. If you are looking for more ideas for math posters, be sure to follow me on Pinterest! I’m always sharing more anchor charts and fun math lessons for upper elementary.
Prepare Lesson Plans Faster and Better
I honed my batch-prepping system this year and earned back more hours than I can possibly count. Prepare lesson plans faster by thinking ahead and planning in advance. From laying out my unit plan to creating assessments and preparing for students, batch prepping is just the ticket you need to gain back your life.
This was the perfect lesson to learn as I started the new school year with 2 preps, 6th grade math and science. While this was my dream job, I overestimated how much more time it would take to balance both subjects. Luckily I was also learning how to lesson plan better so I was able to keep up with the demand.
If you want to learn more about my time-saving system, be sure to check out this blog post for all the details!
Teaching Lessons #8: Math Exit Tickets Dos and Don’ts
I have learned so much about math exit tickets and I feel like this school year, I finally have a good handle on how to use them and what to do with the data. I love pulling small groups now during math station rotations and that won’t be possible without math exit tickets. Are exit tickets formative or summative? Find out in this blog post!
Student Centric Learning Methods using Choice Board Templates
This teaching lesson was a mouthful, but it is really starting to change the way that I teach in my classroom. I want my students to take on greater responsibility in their learning and choice board templates are one of the ways that I can make that happen. These student centric learning methods are just what I felt like I needed to dive into as I get more advanced in my teaching career. By my students taking on more responsibility, I’m able to help more students while still giving other students the challenge they need to stay engaged in their learning. No one is saying “I’m bored!” around here!
Looking for more information? I wrote this blog post that sums up my current learning but I’m also open to more! Drop any information you have on student centric learning methods in the comments.
Teaching Lessons #10: What’s Classroom Management Like
Jumping from 5th grade to 6th meant a change in schools and middle school is a whole different beast. What’s classroom management like for 6th grade? Similar to elementary but with some added twists. Routines and systems still play a huge part in classroom management along with rewarding students. Those rewards might look a little different than elementary school but the same rules still apply! Check out this blog post to learn more!
I’d love to hear from you! What’s your biggest life lesson for 2022? Any teaching lessons that changed your life? Drop your answer in the comments or add to the conversation over on Instagram!
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