Outside of the Box

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We will have a lot of changes this coming Fall. Some are more global: a new administrator, a new superintendent, new Core Curriculum. On a more local level, my grade level has made a decision to locate the Inclusion classrooms side-by-side, so next year I will be a SPED Inclusion room again.And there some changes in my own teaching that I've been thinking about. I've dabbled in implementing the Daily Five over the last year. It's something that makes sense to me. This summer, a couple of us will be going to the Daily Five workshop offered by "The Sisters" and I'm really psyched about learning more with my teaching colleagues.However the classroom design ideas from The Sisters that have really piqued my curiosity -- along with a suggestion from  Tuesday2's blog -- and that is what is giving me the inspiration to really look at my classroom's traditional layout.  Is the room "mine" or is it "ours"? And if it is ours, everything - seating, access to materials, EVERYthing - needs a re-evaluation as to its purpose and usefulness in a room filled with 9 year olds.Just how much radical change can be made remains to be seen -- the District has requirements (overhead projectors in each room has been a hot topic in the building this week). But there will be change.... this is going to be fun.