Ms. Copeland Takes 3rd Grade

Happy New (School) Year     

The 2020-2021 school year has officially begun and I am so excited to teach 3rd Grade for the first time since I began my career as an educator 9 years ago. The thought of being able to focus on one homeroom and truly establish a strong classroom community full of love and learning makes my heart smile! I was so excited to start this school year that I...(drum rollllllllllll), FILMED MY FIRST WEEK and started a YouTube channel!

Youtube

In my very first vlog, I start the week getting reacquainted with the staff members of my entire school by discussing some motivational pieces related to education. One article in particular really resonated with me. "A Teacher’s Guide to Thriving Through the School Year" highlighted  five actions that help teachers maximize their impact with kids. If you get a chance to read the article, let me know your thoughts about it below. Which action steps spoke to you (if any)? 

On the second day, I was able to get a great understanding of my expectations for virtual learning by forgoing trainings/webinars for the various online platforms that we will be using. You have no idea how excited I am to have access to Raz Plus (like seriously, I can't believe that I'll actually be able to use the turbo version of Raz Kids without having to beg for someone else's log-in information). My school is really going all out with making sure that we have ample resources to make learning fun for kids, despite the pandemic. Other programs that we will be using include (but are not limited to): GoogleClassroom, Zoom, Amplify Reading, Freckle, and Great Minds Affirm. I feel so grateful to be at a school that invests in these types of resources without us teachers having to "pull teeth."

The work week ends with me going into the school building for the first time since February. Now that I think about it, it's really crazy that I'm a teacher and I haven't been inside of a school building for SIX MONTHS (not that I'm complaining #safetyfirst)! While at school I was able to start to organize my classroom, and to internalize Module 1 of the Eureka Math curriculum (3rd grade). My coach gave me some guiding questions that really helped to focus my mind as I read through the module. Does your school use Eureka for math instruction? If so, how do you like it? If not, which math curriculum do you use and how do you like it? 

ECSTATIC is the best word to describe how I'm feeling at the start of my new journey as a 3rd grade teacher! Did you start your school year yet? What are you most excited about? Drop a comment and don’t forget to like watch my first video and subscribe to my channel. Happy Teaching (on coffee)!

Transitioning to a New School

I am excited to announce that I will be transitioning to a new school for the 2017-2018 school year and I can not even begin to explain how excited I am. I will still be teaching 5th grade (the best grade to teach) but instead of teaching only math at a middle school, I will be teaching math and science at an elementary school for the Citizens of the World Charter Network. To say that I am 'elated' is the biggest understatement of all time. Although, I really love the team and family at my current school and will miss the staff and students dearly, I cannot wait to make this transition and have my own classroom again! I wanted to share some tips with you on making a switch between schools that will hopefully help to make your changeover as seamless as possible!

1. Start an Inventory!

You want to start an inventory of your teacher stuff. You know the storage containers, manipulatives, books, school supplies, etc. that you've accumulated over the years. Getting a record of it will help to ensure that you leave with ALL of your belongings and figure out what you need more of. It can also help you figure out what you can get rid of/donate to other teachers (for all of us teacher hoarders out there that keep things for years that we don't use). Sometimes we don't realize how valuable (or not so valuable) our teacher things are until we take the time to write it down. You might even end up rediscovering a manipulative that you used to love and haven't used in a while. Download my Supply Inventory Freebie to get started on your inventory with style! 

              

Plan your Move!

I know that it takes me a long time to get things done in general, let alone moving to a new school. It's kind of like moving to a new apartment from an already, fully-furnished one that you've lived in for years. You want to make sure that you take your time and plan out how you are going to pack and where you are going to store everything. I won't be able to "move in" to my new school until August so I plan to rent a storage unit at the local CubeSmart near the new school. Starting in the first week of June (the last month of the school year for my district), I will begin to transport all of my things little by little. Until then, I am gathering boxes and propositioning friends to get ready to help me! 

Shop for Containers

While you are planning how your are going to pack, you should also start to pick out your color schemes and themes for your classroom. This way, you can start shopping (my favorite pastime) for different storage containers that match and any other teacher things that you realized that you needed after doing your supply inventory. I am sticking with a 'brights' theme so I will only need a few more storage containers to pack up the miscellaneous things that aren't currently stored in a container.  Having your materials already organized in storage containers helps to make the move much more efficient. Here are some examples of the storage containers that you can picked up from Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, or National Wholesale Liquidators. 

Build a rapport with your new Principal. 

Every now and then, you should send an email or card to your new principal just to see how things are going or to receive any updates on information involving your on-boarding. Principals get really busy toward the end of the school year and it is likely that they will get tons of new information (such as a draft calendar, scope and sequences, new hire information) but forget to send it to you. Keeping in touch is a great way to stay in the loop while scoring 'brownie points' with your new admin. 

 Go out with Class!

Whether you are leaving your school on good terms or bad terms, it is important to remember that you are a teacher first! Maintain your professionalism and continue to do all that you can to move your students forward in their education. Try to resist the 'End of Year Laziness' trap that a lot of us fall victim to. If you are leaving on good terms with your school, you are in a special position to possibly return if the worst should happen at your new school (you never know!). You want to continue to be the professional that you have been all along, being sure to leave a lasting impression. 

I hope that these tips were helpful and if you have any more tips, please share in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Introduction

Hi happy people, my name is Sharayia Copeland and I'm a 5th Grade Math and Science Teacher (#TeamSTEM). In addition to helping exceptional learners grow in math and science, I also teach a guided reading group and I have been newly appointed as Grade Level Chair for the 2016-2017 school year. Being a teacher has been quite an adventure and tons of coffee has helped me along the way. Join me on this caffeine filled roller coaster as I help our scholars learn and grow in math, science, reading and life. CHEERS! ☕☕☕☕