Happy New Year - 2015!!

Happy New Year - 2015!

After a well-deserved two week break, Goodrich students are back in the swing of things! Sixth graders have come back to school ready to work, learn, and discover new things. We have taken some time out each day, however, to make sure we are in the right frame of mind on both a personal and social level.

Monday, each class spent time reviewing and practicing routines and expectations in the classroom and throughout the school during our school-wide “Skills Blitz”. We practiced proper procedures in the lunchroom, in the bathrooms, and in the hallways. We also had some practice in going through our daily routines in the classroom. Having procedures and routines in place helps the entire day go smoothly. While sixth graders typically know and perform these routines on a regular basis, they also understand the importance of setting a good example for the rest of the school. And we take this job very seriously! The sixth graders are excellent role models for the 1^st and 2^nd graders during lunch/recess and they help their kindergarten buddies weekly during “buddy time” on Wednesdays.  

We have also taken some time to reconnect with our classmates. The relationships students have with their peers are critical in maintaining a productive learning environment. There is a fine line in sixth grade when defining “friends” and “classmates”. Sixth graders are often more concerned with what their peers are thinking than their own learning. When positive relationships are formed and maintained, classmates become more accepting of each other, and students are much more willing to take risks in front of their peers when it comes to learning new things.

Few professions offer the opportunity to “begin anew” several times a year. Teaching is one job that allows us to have a fresh start in the fall as we begin a new school year, at the beginning of each quarter, as well as in January after our winter break.  I have always enjoyed this chance to start fresh both in school and at home. New Year Resolutions are one way to jump-start your year in the right direction. We have been spending our time this week making some realistic goals for ourselves and outlining specific steps that will ensure that we are able to stick with these resolutions. We even extended this to our kindergarten buddies and helped them to come up with some resolutions for themselves. As the year progresses, hopefully we will all be more productive, more positive, and more FOCUSed.