End of the year

As my truly first full year as a certified teacher is winding down I think I have done a decent job. I fell into rut here and there, but overall I think my students are much better now then when they first walked through my door. Here are a few things that I want to work on next year:

- Feedback. I want all of my students to get better feedback. I find that I will grade their tests, they will sit on my desk for a week, then I will have them back. After so much time has gone by I don't think the students get as much out of it as I want them too. I also want to leave more personal feedback so the students can see what things they can do to improve. I might not even put a grade on the test, but only in the gradebook. Thoughts?

- Website. I used to love my website. I had everything on it from videos, pencasts, a calendar, etc. Then about 2-3 months into school I stopped updating it. I want to use it more in class in hopes my students will use it more often as well.

- Social Media. I love this stuff! I never thought it could ever be this cool. I love my department, and I love bouncing ideas off of them and stealing their ideas. Now I have tons of colleagues that I can steal ideas from! (sorry, collaborate).

Here are also a few things I think I did well this year:

- Rapport. I feel as though I connect well with many of my students. This may be because I sometimes behave like a senior. My administrator made note of the mutual respect and positive interactions I had during my observation. I think he was right. I want to continue that next year, especially since I will need to prepare 4 sections of freshmen for high school.

- Blogging. This ties in with social media, but I started a blog, and I intend on continuing. This is cool stuff.

- Professional Development. I am finishing up 2 classes now, and I would love to start working towards a PhD.

- Stay in Math. I love math. I also love biology, but I am staying. My department is truly phenomenal. I can't imagine teaching anything else right now.

I want to continue getting better. I think we all have ways we can continue to improve. I am so happy that I discovered social media, and I know I am already a better teacher because of it. I am really excited to spend time with my daughter and my wife, but I am also excited to get started next year!!