Welcome!

Welcome to the beginning of my blog about teaching.  I have recently decided to rethink a great deal of my teaching practice.  I would even go as far as to say I am doing a total tear down of my classroom, my thoughts on teaching, my classroom management, my methods for instruction- everything.

I've starting thinking about how to use the research that is out there to design a classroom that will accomplish a few things:
1. Students reach state/federal standards
2. The room itself is a comfortable place to be
3. Best practice is the name of the game- If it doesn't/hasn't worked, it's gone
4. Students are prepared for testing (if applicable)
5. Parents are informed of where their children are and where they're going
6. Have policies/procedures/plans that will work with increased class sizes and combo classes.

And here is where my list of ideas gets difficult because they involve other people:
7. Students are well supported by the special services team

or they involve diplomacy:
8. District "non-negotiables" and the "district's way" are throughly evaluated based on new research.

So how am I going to accomplish this?  I have an extensive list of reading material to get through, I've attended a great workshop, and I created this blog which I am hoping will be part soundingboard part soapbox.  And I don't think it should be all me. I firmly believe that some of the best ideas come from collaboration.  Got something teaching related you want to talk about, let me know and I'll make you an author on the blog.  Got a book or article you'd like to share, send to me and I'll post it.  Maybe it won't be just me who rethinks their classroom.