TeachThought Day 11: My Favorite Part of the School Day

Today's post took some thought for me to answer. I am a morning person and my initial thought was to say the best part of the day was the beginning of the day but that's not true. The early morning is actually quite stressful for me: I need to wake up and get me, my son and my daughter ready for the day and out the door while simultaneously providing an nuturing home environment that will allow them to feel ready to achieve great things at school. I then have a long commute that takes me on busy highways--not my idea of fun. 

My best part of the school day is actually about halfway into my first class period.

The halfway point of my first class period is the point of the day when I can feel my class is hitting their groove and our learning is flowing. I can see how accurately I've predicted the amount of material we can cover and dive deeply into without overwhelming them. I can sense where we will find a natural ending for the period and I will then be able to wrap up with an "exit" assessment. My daily reflection is also an excellent pacing guide for the other two History classes I teach during the day. 

Halfway into first hour is the time when my prep for the class (usually) pays off. I really enjoy planning and timing my lessons and this is when I get the sense of satisfaction that my efforts were worthwhile and beneficial to my students.
#reflectiveteacher #teachthought

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