What I Wish I Had My First Year Teaching (Primary Flourish)

Before I share with you what I wish I had my first year of teaching, let me tell you what I did have.

I started teaching in 1973, and knowing and having what I have now - I wonder how I survived. 

In the 70's, I had the amazing Ditto machine to make copies and I had Frank Schaeffer Publications for my teaching resources.  I can still remember the smell of that ditto machine - oh and the purple fingers!

There have been so many amazing advancements in technology, learning theory, and educational resources so ...

A printer!

I could have printed resources for my students without that stinky smell or purple fingers!

I love this printer with the HP Instant Ink program.  They deliver ink to my home, before I need it!  No more running out of ink at 11:00 at night!

Now if you give a teacher a printer ... you know what she will ask for.... 

resources to print!

Teachers Pay Teachers

I so wish I had the rich selection of teaching resources available to me that first year of teaching!

Teachers Pay Teachers is my absolute favorite place to go for classroom resources!  

Now if you give a teacher all those amazing resources to print on that printer...you know what she will ask for...something to preserve them!

Laminator

I love my laminator!  It preserves my teaching materials, word walls, focus walls, learning centers, and classroom decorations so I do not need to reprint and recut each year!

No more waiting in line at school to laminate, I can do it at home while I enjoy my family - 

and have it all cut out and ready to go!

It doesn't matter how many amazing resources I have if I cannot engage my students in the learning process!  So ...

Whole Brain Teaching

Looking back on my first year I felt so unprepared to teach!

 Even though I had my college degree and a teaching credential saying I was. 

Whole Brain Teaching transformed the last ten years of my teaching career!

Even though I did not have all those amazing resources available to me when I started my teaching career, I used what I had, mixed with a love for my students and a passion to be the best for them that I could be.

That strong desire to inspire and motivate my students drove me to constantly be researching effective teaching models, as well as teaching and learning tools.

I have often said,

Teaching is not a job... it's a journey!

May you flourish on your journey!