Changes.

This little place has been sorely neglected! There are lots of things going on and changes afoot in my part of the world. Here’s a quick breakdown.

• The biggest news is that my family and I are moving. I am not continuing on to 7th grade with my fantastic group of students. Greater employment opportunities for my children’s father are taking us to a larger city.
• I will be teaching 4th grade next year to a large group of lovely and energetic students who I plan to take through to 8th grade. I’ve never taught 4th grade before, so I’m very excited! I’ve just returned from my summer intensive training and I can’t wait to plunge headlong into planning. (Packing and moving must come first.)
• I’ve received several requests that I make my 6th grade materials available. It is indeed my intention to pull those things together but with so much else going on this summer it will be difficult to make happen. Still, I will put something together but it likely won’t be before mid-August. Watch this space for updates.
• With this change, the question has arisen for me about whether I should continue to keep up this little space. I’ve thought about it a lot and I truly believe that maintaining this blog brings a new level of consciousness to me with regards to my work. I find that it supports my work and makes me more aware of what I am doing and the context in which it exists. I also love the sense of community that I feel through the comments and emails I receive via this blog. Recognizing that there are so many others on this journey brings comfort to a profession that can be very isolating.

So I look forward to another academic year — 2012-13 — with enthusiasm. I imagine my posts here will focus much more on the work, rather than the students. Photos will be of blackboard drawings and main lesson book pages, rather than of students. I have a lot of ideas for 4th grade and I can’t wait to get started!