New Year's Resolutions for My Classroom

One of the many New Year's resolutions I would love to do for my classroom is to be more patient. I currently teach five children among the ages of four and fourteen, two of which have learning disabilities. They do exceptional work, but there are times when days are very long and everyone, including me, can't wait to finish.

Having one of my classroom New Year's resolutions to be more patient would be great for everyone. Over the years we've come a long way and I think in this situation, practice really does make perfect. I would like to try to figure out a way that we can all do our share of classroom work without rushing through. One idea that I would like to try is to make our classroom work more fun, which leads me to one of the next New Year's resolutions.

New Year's Resolutions for My Classroom: Have More Fun

Another New Year's resolutions I would love to do for my classroom is to have more fun. We do a lot of fun project during the school year, but I would love to do even more. I think that if learning in school is fun, children will grow up and be naturally curious. It only takes one curious person to discover or create something that could change the world.

I plan on accomplishing these New Year's resolutions in my classroom by purchasing more hands on activities. Whether it's building a paper mache volcano or playing with Snap Circuits, education is all around us. It's fun too, just ask any child who has seen the show Mythbusters. There are thousands of ways I can accomplish these resolutions for my classroom and I can't wait to discover them.

New Year's Resolutions for My Classroom: Be More Organized

This year one of my New Year's resolutions for my classroom is to be more organized. Books, papers, pencils, pens, everything imaginable is always out of place and where you would least expect it. It makes teaching a challenge when you're always having to stop and find where a child put their work last. It would be great for my classroom if we were able to get organized and stay organized for more than just a day.

I plan on accomplishing these New Year's resolutions in my classroom by enlisting to help of my students. They currently each have their own binders, folders, and other personal storage units, they just have trouble remembering to use them. Instead of punishing them when they forget where they put something, I'd like to try to reward them for keeping the classroom neat and organized. I hope this will result in them becoming more responsible and independent.

New Year's Resolutions for My Classroom: Do More Art

One of the other New Year's resolutions I would like to do is to do more art projects. My students all love to do art together, but because of their age and skill levels, we have a hard time finding projects that everyone can take part in. A younger child may love gluing macaroni to paper, but the older one finds it too boring.

I plan on accomplishing these New Year's resolutions in my classroom by trying to find a middle ground. Anything you create can be art, so there shouldn't be a reason why young or old children can't create it. I plan on stocking up my classroom with art supplies and allowing everyone to express themselves freely.

New Year's Resolutions for My Classroom: Learn Another Language

One of the harder New Year's resolutions I would like my classroom to accomplish is to learn another language. Many of my students have expressed interest in learning either French or Spanish and I think it would be a very wonderful subject to add on top of their core classes.

I plan on accomplishing these New Year's resolutions in my classroom by trying to learn another language myself. I belive that to teach well, you must at least have a basic understanding of the subject. While there are online programs that are made to teach children language, I think it'd be great for us to all learn together.

This is by far the most challenging of my New Year's resolutions for my classroom. While I have taken another language before, it was not at all something I enjoyed and I struggled with it a lot. I hope in that by learning something challenging, I'll be setting a good example. After all, you're never to old to learn something new.