End of Year Reflection

Things I Did Well This Year

• Integrated Google Classroom in a natural way; replaced things I already did in a more efficient way: bell ringers, weekly wrap ups, and semester reflection papers, schoolwide Homecoming and Prom surveys 
• Followed through on #teach180 posts on Twitter for my virtual colleagues, on Instagram for my students, and on facebook for colleagues and parents. Posting daily made me more aware of what lessons I planned as well as keeping me active on Twitter, which I don't know that I've done since year one. I got more positive feedback from parents and colleagues on fb and in person than any change I've ever made.
• Celebrated students with summer birthdays on their half birthdays instead of a million on the last day of school
• Started going to baseball games which really seemed to matter to the boys and coach; I think I take it for granted that they care because I'm the cheer coach and go to every basketball game but baseball games are my choice
• Read the room and gave second chances or extra time when I knew students' anxiety and stress was too high to do any mathematical good
• Connected; I don't really know how to explain but I really felt like I was in the trenches with my students this year
• Ended the year by getting things ready for next year; cleaned my room, replaced borders, cut INB bookmarks and painted with nail polish to prevent shedding, copied all INB table of contents
• Celebrated my seniors with custom shirts designed individually for each of them

Things I Want To Do Well Next Year

• Send out remind messages and make instagram posts for each students birthday
• Boost pre-algebra skills by assigning practice problems on Delta Math for each unit and replacing unit reflections with  related pre-Algebra prerequisite skills (if that makes sense)
• Use Google Classroom to naturally integrate debate questions, at least once per unit (anyone have ideas how to assess this or promote conversation between students?)
• Create a factoring (bell ringers) booklet/flip book during the first week of school that students can refer to for Factoring Fridays throughout the year (this will replace the review unit I did in every course this year)
• Plan better usage (spacing) of whiteboarding, Kahoot, pong, and Hedbanz games
• Positive Postcards- I've mentioned these for years and have never actually done them!
• Plan my end of year routines better; I skipped a lot of things I like to do because I was trying to shove too much into the last two weeks of school

My Big Summer Project

• I want to record voice overs of me explaining and writing in our INB notes; I have issues with students who are absent or in ISS that miss out on instruction and never seem to catch up. This would also be a first step to flipping instruction. I plan to start with Algebra 2 and depending on how long that takes, trickle down to Algebra I. I want to have a recording and digital answer key ready to post after each lesson I teach.

My Big 2018-2019 etc etc Project

• Slowly transition my fourth year math class from trig only to precalculus (I have no idea what I'm doing!)

Things I'm Not Sure I Did Well or Should Do Again

• Mathematician Projects- First I did a Google Slides Presentation then I tried a Fakebook Profile which wouldn't load for everyone and I ended up dropping at the last minute
• Managing unruly students and seniors

Things to Celebrate

• I taught factoring better than ever before! They recognized the different types! We didn't use any tricks! They retained the information through several units!
• I got farther in Algebra 2 and Geometry than last year! I taught at least 3 new units this year!
• I made digital INB answer keys for almost every skill that I can easily print instead of rewriting every year! Why didn't I think of this sooner!
• I worked a couple hours on Saturdays and very little on weeknights! I only took grading home twice all year!
• I kept the same 18 pencils for at least the first semester of school!
• We changed seats every two weeks all year #onegoodthing posts
• I've personally learned a lot of new things this year which keeps me humble and reminds me of what it feels like to be a student
• I'm presenting at #TMC18!