Let the Year Begin!

As another school year begins, I find myself in a new role (for the 3rd year in a row) This year I will be teaching self-contained English and Reading. I am so sad to leave my coaching job, and pray that it will someday come back once all the budget issues in NJ are straightened out, but for now, I am back in the classroom.
I greeted each class with a huge smile and assured them that we are in this together. We are a community of learners, a community that needs each other to grow. Some of my students looked excited, eager to sink their teeth in and begin a new year. Others wanted to pick up right where they left off last year - defiant, withdrawn, unwilling to participate. I am going to take the next couple days to build community and get to know my students, and I pray they all participate and take an active role in their learning this year. How do I motivate these kids? How can I set each one up for success? I can't wait to find out the answers to these questions! Let another school year begin...I am ready for the challenge!

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