It’s here already, a new school year, and it brings with it a fresh start with endless possibilities. As teachers, we get the opportunity to redefine ourselves and grow into a better teacher for our students. We get to add another year of experience to what we already knew to make this year our best one yet. The new school year offers excitement, a fresh start, and a world of possibilities. We know what worked best last year and how we need to change things for this year. We know activities and projects to add as well as things to eliminate. We have already decided how to make things better for this year and new programs we want to try. Yes, the beginning of the school year has lots to offer.
As a middle school teacher, I have been very fortunate to rarely have behavior issues in my class. I think this is partly because of the educational technology used everyday in my classes. This does not mean I do not get my share of middle school girl drama, but it is very limited and can usually be quickly quieted. I do not think I do anything out of the ordinary, I simply think it comes down to my expectations. Classroom procedures and expectations are crucial to student success in all classes. Since I teach using technology, it is equally important to establish expectations for the technology used in the classroom. It is vital that I set these expectations upon entering my classroom on the very first day of school.
