Next School Year I'm Definitely Going To...

I think one of the major perks of teaching is the opportunity to have a fresh start every year. I love that feeling - the anticipation of trying something new and the satisfaction of finding something that works well enough to use again the next year! 

Like always, I'm not even finished with this year and I'm already thinking about what I'd like to do next year! I'm joining up with Finding Joy in 6th Grade for a linky party to make sure I don't forget any of my ideas! 

I was blown away by the concept of Mentor Sentences when Jivey and Amanda and Stacia started blogging about them! I can't wait to try this out in my classroom. It just makes so much sense and I am looking forward to seeing how my students' writing improves with this technique! 

Small group instruction/guided reading is where I really struggle in my ELA block. I think a better schedule and more detailed lesson plans will go a long way to help, so that's on the summer to-do list.

I want my students to have a reference they can use while working independently and I think reading notebooks will be the answer for me! I'm hoping to get some great ideas at the Interactive Notebook linky party by 4mulaFun.

After an eternity two weeks of testing and end of the year bickering I'm ready for some fun. I have some things planned for my kiddos over the next few days, but I really plan to make fun a focus in my classroom next year! 

What are you definitely going to do next year?