#SOL19 Hopes for the New School Year

Sunscreen, beach towels and lazy mornings are giving way to new notebooks, sharp yellow pencils and alarm clocks set. Tomorrow my children and I return to school. Alex starts third grade, Megan begins first grade, and I return to teaching third grade. My new students do not arrive until Thursday but two days of meetings await. 

Megan's teachers sent home a parent information form to fill out. One question was, "What do I hope for my child this year?" That got me thinking about both my children= and my students- and what I hope for us all this year. I will write this from the perspective of what I hope my children experience, knowing that what I wish for them is what I need to make happen for my own students. 

• I hope they have a teacher who loves teaching and learning:
• I hope they have a classroom that is comfortable, cheerful, and feels like home.
• I hope they are surrounded by books of all kinds by all different authors from all different backgrounds.
• I hope they are read aloud to each day.
• I hope they have opportunities to be problem solvers
• I hope they are given the benefit of the doubt
• I hope their classmates practice kindness and the teacher models it every day.
• I hope they have opportunities to move, laugh, and create.
• I hope they are not awarded points or penalized with points for their actions. 
• I hope there is no clip chart.
• I hope their teacher really gets to know them and likes them. 
• I hope they take field trips.
• I hope they look forward to each day. 
• I hope the curriculum is relevant and reflects many perspectives, not one narrative
• I hope they write for more than a grade.
• I hope there is no reading log.
• I hope they feel part of another family while they are at school.

So now I have my work cut out for me, with a list of all the things I need to do for my students, too! I wish us all a happy year and so much more.