I wish I had a time machine! Then, I would be able to go back in time, to the beginning of the year, using the knowledge I have now, to make some changes. I would have started practicing for the statewide test sooner, introduced more math games to be used as review games now, and spent more time establishing and maintaining classroom rules and routines. I've been talking more and more with my mentor, who has great ideas! It was hard to know what to ask and what to figure out on my own earlier in the year. In hindsight, I would have talked to her more sooner. Some of the things she and I talk about, I did not even know that I had to think about, like how to provide extensions for accelerated learners, what to do when a student is extremely far behind or disruptive, what happens if the class won't stop talking? These things now are like "duh, why didn't I plan for that?" I also should have challenged my students more, through what I was asking them to produce in writing and in terms of holding them accountable for homework.
All I can do is go on from here and try to make changes as I am able. I guess that is why they say the first year of teaching is the most challenging.
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