Gearing up for a new assignment: 2nd Grade, Here I Come!

Organization is always a hot topic for teachers at the end of the school year as we pack up our classrooms for the summer and take time to rethink the way that we do what we do. Currently, I'm moving out of my high school English classroom and into my new room (and new assignment!) in second grade. This is a huge change, as you can imagine, but the good news is, much of what I used in my old room can stay right where it is. It's not going to move with me, so my successor will simply inherit those resources.

God's Words - Binder Clips

Meanwhile, as I look to my new adventure as a second-grade teacher, I'm imagining all of the ways my classroom and my school day will be different. Here are just a few:

• One class, seven students, all subjects, all day
• Shorter prep times
• Strong support team of elementary teachers
• Manipulatives galore
• More visuals and anchor charts on the walls
• Calendar time
• New class Website, apps, and tech
• New forms of parent communication
• Increased volume of paper flow
• Take-home folders
• Cubbies
• Volunteers
• Elementary classroom management
• Recess duties
• Standards-based report cards
• Daily hugs from kiddos!

Needless to say, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I plan to do lots of learning and growing along with my students this year!

Heading into my new assignment, organization is going to be huge. This summer, I'll be getting my classroom shipshape so it's clean, cozy, safe, and a place where learning can happen. More on that process in a future post! 

Cultivate Kindness Market Jute Tote Bag

In addition to the "academic stuff," I want to teach my second-graders to be kind. There are tons of resources out there for fostering kindness in the classroom. Check out my Kindness Pinterest board for starters. Some ideas I plan to implement include displaying words about kindness throughout the room, creating a class mantra, having a Random Acts of Kindness bulletin board, and wearing tees and accessories that point up the same message. Of course, there's no substitute for taking advantage of teachable moments as they come up. Kindness can be taught!

I'm feeling so blessed right now to have this new opportunity at this point in my career. Moving to second grade has infused my work life with new energy and focus. 

I would love to connect with other second-grade teachers right now! Please reach out in the comments, or email me here: aballard (at) camascountyschools.org. What do you love about that "magical" grade level you teach?

Changing teaching assignments for fall? What challenges do you face as you make the change? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Have a fantastic end of the school year,

Amy

Showing Compassion

Call it drama, call it bullying. A lack of compassion crops up all too often in school settings. It's tough on teachers, who have to try to stand up for the victim and simultaneously set the aggressor back on the right path. Sometimes outside help is required. It'll make you sick to your stomach and have you wondering why you didn't become a ballerina or a long-haul trucker instead of going into teaching.

We're in good company when we stick with the job and act as peacemakers, though. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."

Jesus himself is our prime example of peacemaking. One of my favorite verses is Mark 6:34:

"When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things."

It's our job to take compassion on those kids who are suffering and in need of an advocate. When Jesus had compassion on the people who followed him around, he didn't stop to ask them if they agreed with his politics or his mode of dress or his leadership style before welcoming them. They were like sheep. They needed him. So he taught them many things.

May God help us to teach and feed and love the unlovable, having compassion on them.