Changes for next year

Week one of summer and I'm already thinking about some small changes for next year. Overall, I'm really pleased with how year six unfolded.  That being said, there will be tweaks for next year.  I don't ever want to do things exactly the same with my students because that means there was no growth for me as an educator. 

One of the changes is keeping a binder of communication notes from parents, including absence notes.  This year I learned a little too late that the school district wanted all of them saved. I'd already begun the end of year purge, but luckily my office clerks were very understanding.

Next year, I'll simply have a binder with page protectors where I file their notes in accordance to student numbers (alphabetical order).

I'll probably even have this be a student's job.

I'll also be doing a citation (write up) log along with keeping track of the number of times students don't complete their work.  I want to have proof for when parents question their grades (E/S/N) for responsibility.  I'm hoping next year will bring less citations because I've got some new ideas for rewarding students who do their work...stay tuned!

I'm also really excited about rearranging my classroom. I got a second wardrobe the last week of school and a new bookcase, so I need to rearrange some furniture.  Last year I had thirty students but I'm looking at around 35 next year, so I'll need more space for table groups.  Fingers crossed that the rumors are true and our projectors are being mounted in the ceiling!  That would free up so much space in the classroom. 

I'll also be using this for no names:

I found the clipboard in the $3 bins at Target and used a white chalk board marker to do the lettering. 

I also found this at Target and will be using it for my writing conferences.

I'm not pleased with the limited number of writing conferences I did last year, so I'm thinking this will be an easy way for me to keep all the information in one place.  I'll be putting a schedule on the front so I can be accountable to myself for meeting with all students on a frequent basis.

I'll be using post-it tabs to put students' names down the side and taking anecdotal notes on the pages.  Plus there are pockets to keep information in, which will help me stay organized (one of my big goals for next year!)

I also found pink and gold polka dotted and teal and gold polka dotted versions of this portfolio, so I'll be using one for my Reading Rangers conferences and one for my teacher meetings. I also bought a new pink planner, so I'm excited to start the year off correctly!

What new changes are you making for next year?