How I Can Become a New Successful Teacher

This year I started teaching fourth grade at a new school. The school is incredibly high performing with a wide variety of curricular options. Students come to school ready to learn and are well prepared for the rigorous curriculum.

Below is a summary of the first weeks of school systems I have created for student success. Additionally, I am learning how to effectively introduce new textbook and online resources available to me to support differentiated learning opportunities for individual students.

Building Ready to Learn Systems Within My Classroom

• Planning a student flow of activities that include creating bins for students to turn in their work and also the weekly envelope with correspondence to parents. Added bins are organized for student lunches, water bottles, and personal school supplies, and books.
• Classroom rewards include point system tracking for the whole class, by table assignments, or through individual accomplishments. Whole class rewards include additional free time and planned fun activities. Individual students are rewarded with stickers, grab bag classroom supplies, or a special treat.
• Behavior consequences are developed that includes completing a behavior communication form for parents when a student is not able to conform to classroom and school behavior guidelines.
• Student completion of homework is tracked online and must be reviewed and managed by the classroom teacher.

Creating Curricular Systems of Teacher Support

• Writing prompts are created for students to write reflections in their journals each morning.
• Daily writing lessons are taught using the Heinemann textbook assignments.
• Daily math lessons are taught using the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Go Math textbook assignments.
• Three times each week, students are taught basic science concepts through hands on experiments.
• Two times each week, students are taught social studies using TCI curricular units.

In my next few blog posts, I will share how my new students respond to my teaching strategies for each academic subject. These reflections can help teachers consider modifications when implementing new curricular subjects throughout the school year.