Tuesday, May 10, 2016

My Spring End-of-Year Classroom To-Do List

Around here, it's time to print out that final End-of-Year Checklist and start wrapping things up before summer (yay!) so I thought I'd share the to-do list I use to leave my classroom well-organized and ready for Fall.

I posted my Start-Up Fall Checklists last August with this post. Some of the things on that list are unnecessary and/or fast and easy "checks" if I take the time, before I leave for summer, to do everything on my Spring End of Year list.

I have a week and a half left with students plus 3 teacher work days left, so now's the time I look at my list and see what I can start plugging away at and marking off when I get moments in my classroom to myself.

Here's my list--feel free to modify as needed to meet your own needs!

Jalen’s End of Year To-Do List Spring 2016


·       Set up gradebook for Final Exams and Final Grades
·       Grade Email Replies (Writing tests) and enter into Mastery Manager
·       Grade Speaking Tests
·       Enter Final grades in IC
·       Post Grades including TAs
·       Print gradebooks and attendance
·       Reorganize/clean out filing cabinets
·       Organize/purge AP files
·       Clean/purge/organize room top to bottom
·       Clean/organize office
·       Clean out folders in email (AP, etc.)
·       Clean desktop files, P drive, and other temp files on laptop
·       Organize/clean out props & visuals
·       Unhook all cords to laptop cart and wrap/tape neatly
·       Unplug/wipe down/open refrigerator
·       Get signatures and check out with main office
·       Celebrate!

9 comments:

  1. Hola Jalen!

    I saw a comment about your lesson plans and books on iFLT/ NTPRS/ CI Teaching facebook group. After visiting your website I was even more excited to learn that your district use the same textbook as mine "Expresate"!
    I teach high school Spanish 1 and 2. I would like to buy some of your material but I don't know if I should get started with your 1A and 2A or should I get started during the second semester 1B and 2B? I'm starting Unit 3 for both levels after the NJ teacher's Convention. Maybe the second semester would give me more time to read them and plan during the winter break.
    Please let me know.
    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Silvana! Yes, good old Exprésate. When you say you are starting Unit 3, I assume you mean chapter 3? My 1A and 2A books include the vocab and grammar topics from chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4. So if you wanted skits and lessons that align with where you are, that would be 1A and 2A. Hope this helps!

      Delete
  2. Yes. We are starting chapter 3 next Monday, Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jalen.

    I'm so excited to have found your materials. I'm currently use Exprésate but want to switch over to CI. My district is 100% behind my switch and is willing to purchase materials. I usually get through chapter 1-7. What lesson plan books do I need to buy from you? Also, can you recommend any other supplemental materials, books, or resources that would be helpful? I'm VERY new to CI, but VERY excited to get started.

    Thank you!

    Dawn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Dawn! In order to answer your question, I need to know what levels of Spanish you teach. If it's levels 1, 2, and/or 3, the A semester book of each of those levels covers chapters 1-4 in Exprésate, and the B semester book covers 5-8. Let me know what levels and I'll suggest some supplementary things for reading and grammar. :-)

      Delete
  4. Thanks for getting back to me. I teach level 1 over the course of two years. I teach the first half of Spanish one in seventh grade and the second half in eighth grade. I usually get through chapter 1 through 4 1/2 in seventh grade and chapter 4 1/2 through 7 in eighth grade.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ok then you probably want 2009 Spanish 1A for your 7th grade class and 1B for the 8th graders. That schedule is very similar to my teaching situation when I taught middle school in 2003 - 2005. For supplemental materials, I use grammar workbooks, telenovelas, and occasionally novels, although I haven't been able to find a novel I really like for the lower levels. Check out my blog post at http://jalensteachingblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/grammar-resources-i-like-and-use.html for ideas for grammar workbooks (unless you like the grammar resources that come with Exprésate.) The telenovela I have been using for level 1 is La fea más bella (ordered it on Amazon) but I've noticed a big decline in interest in watching telenovelas in class in the past 2 years, so I'm not sure I'm going to continue it.

      Delete
    2. Does the 2009 version still follow Expresate? My students will feed into High School level 2 at the HS and will be expected to know what the material from Expresate.

      Delete
    3. Yes. Spanish 1A 2009 uses the vocab and grammar topics from the first 4 chapters of Expresate 1 and Spanish 1B 2009 uses the vocab and grammar topics from chapters 5 - 8 of Expresate 1. Let me know if you need anything else!

      Delete

Announcing My Online, On-Demand Spanish 1 Course!

Click ↑ to go to my new YouTube Channel! It's here! I'm teaching my "Jalen Waltman"  standards-based high school Spanish 1...