Two things that I hope to work on during summer school this year include talking less and addressing students in private.
Teacher talk is the bane of many a young teacher's existed. I have improved quite a bit over the course of the year, but I still think that my tendency to talk through issues is a major weak point of my teaching. Those who know me know that I believe 98% of all teaching issues come back to planning. Talking less in class will allow me to start more quickly and put more ownership on my students. It will also require me to plan for and structure longer practice sessions and lots of opportunities for troubleshooting and peer correcting.
As for addressing students... it has been important for me this year to become very comfortable confronting students, making examples and calling them out with confidence. However, I believe that my management is strong enough now to take it to the next level. My authority is clear, I don't need to set examples. Just as I 've developed good habits around nipping things in the bud, I would like to start addressing unwanted behaviors almost exclusively with individual conversations instead of calling them out infront of the class.
Were you able to work on those areas this summer? Year 2 will be better because you will be more comfortable with your school and with your students. You have already built relationships with some students, which will make private conversations even more effective than before. My favorite tactic is the hall conference. This has kept the writing assignments down and individual morale up. Good luck this year!
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