Simplicity and Struggles: Reflecting on this School Year so Far

Like many young teachers, I started out as a first year teacher full of zeal. I had tons of fun and niche ideas that had been festering in notebooks since I was a student, waiting to be shared with future students and classes. Since then, each school year started by laying out my unique systems and ideas with zest and enthusiasm that was contagious to my classes. However, as a fourth year teacher, I’ve realized that a lot of my ideas haven’t been as sustainable as I planned. As I grow as a teacher and become a little older (and more valuing of my time outside the classroom), I’ve come to the point where I’ve needed to simplify some rituals and routines of my classroom. And well, being in a global pandemic, teaching on a hybrid schedule is a good time to reconsider my teaching practice and make some changes. This week, the second quarter commenced at my school. So looking back at the last two months, here are some changes that I’ve made this year:

1. Only Google Classroom- Previously, I asked my students to maintain binders that I would check for a grade throughout the semester. That way, all their notes were in one place and I could help model to them good organizational and note taking strategies. Here’s the thing though- the kids were pretty bad at it. The "binder check" grades were frequently bringing their grades down. So this year, inspired by the fact that I don’t want to touch binders, I eliminated them entirely. Now, all the note sheets are on Google Classroom. I like that I can use topics to help keep them organized and that I don’t have piles of binders around my classroom, waiting to be graded.
2. Stickers as Prizes- As a first year teacher, I had a very inspired idea- “Blind Date with a Book.” I went to thrift stores and bought British Literature books, wrapped them in construction paper and wrote details about them on the cover. It was a truly cute and fun idea. Students who went above and beyond got a ticket to win a “Blind Date with a Book” and at the end of each quarter I drew winners who got their book and a homework pass. While it was a super cute idea, not a lot of students were motivated by a free book. And it wasn’t sustainable. I kept forgetting to buy new books and draw winners. It was a lot of time and effort to keep it going. This year, I bought a few packets of stickers on Amazon- VSCO theme, The Office theme, Corgi theme, Travel theme, Art theme. These are a huge hit and much more motivating for students than my complex book dating system.
3. Attendance Questions- This one is a total “teachergram influenced me” situation. But here’s the thing: with students on Zoom and in my classroom simultaneously, it’s really hard for me to take attendance. I can’t simply glance around my room. Attendance Questions have been a great way to start class by holding myself accountable for taking attendance. It also guarantees that I hear from each student at some point during class, even if they don’t turn their camera on. And it’s been a truly charming way to grow classroom community. Students get really invested in questions like “Hannah Montana or iCarly?” or “Favorite type of chip?”
4. Book Clubs- In the past, I always started off the school year with a Brave New World unit. Honestly, I hated it. I think that BNW is a rather crude and misogynistic book. It was a final vestige from the teacher before me who had left a lot of resources. I realized I was teaching it because I thought it was easy to teach, not because I thought it was good or valuable. This year instead, I replaced it with a Book Club unit. I was inspired by so many of my teachergram friends like Molly (thatawkwardteacher) and Emily (teachingsaveslives) who had implemented successful Book Club models in their classrooms. As I teach a Brit Lit class, I selected six diverse books by British authors or with a British connection. Students got to select one of the six books to read and analyze in our first unit. I’m working on an upcoming blog post that will walk teachers through the process I used to develop it
5. ​Grading Grind- Okay, now for some changes this year that I don’t love. I’m assigning way more work than ever before. Through the hybrid model, I’ve really struggled to keep things fair for students. My solution for this is to assign daily work to have students apply the lesson we are learning automatically. I always give them time in class to do this daily work, but most kids don’t do it during class. As students are scattered between the school and their homes, it is difficult to monitor students to make sure they are doing this work. The result of this is a lot of failing students who simply aren’t doing the work, despite being given time to do it in class. This has created a lot of hastily done late work that I simply can’t keep up with. With my plan time the last period of the day, I am constantly too exhausted by the end of the day to look at another screen, much less grade hours worth of late work.

I'm optimistic that things will get better eventually, so that I can take the good parts of this year and let it combine with the old expectations I had for late work and my grading load. I am also prioritizing my little family (my fiancé and dog) in ways that I used to not prioritize just myself. I'm making sure that I take time to exercise and rest this year instead of running around. The more I lean into family and self care, the more I long to simplify my teaching life, while still making it engaging and creative for my students.