Where to Begin

Again, I have been thinking about where to start. School has been out for a month and I have been doing some work, but it doesn't seem to be organized and productive. I have made my countless to do lists, separated them into subjects, etc, but still not feeling productive. It doesn't help that my four year old is constantly asking me to build something, play a game, etc with him :)

My school is part of a large district, but we have been given the freedom to teach what we want, how we want. We are an arts integration school that uses an over arching theme to teach with. The school admin likes us to use backward design to complete our planning. I love teaching here, but sometimes the freedom to explore how to teach can be a little bit too much freedom for me so I would like to get more rigor back into my teaching.

There is a lot that I want to get done, so where do I begin? Lesson plans, year long curriculum planning, classroom map, ugh...have no idea.

The one goal I have is that I would like my room set up and organized before the last week in July when my family goes on vacation.Teachers have to return to school officially on August 10th and those days are filled with meetings, catching up, etc that I don't get a lot done. It would be fabulous to have most of all my big planning done before school starts. Just writing this gets me a little nervous. My heart is pumping and my head gets foggy...see this is the problem.

So I have about a month until my vacation (going to the lake with my parents). 30 days...to do my to do list...

So the first thing on my list is the one that I have been putting off the longest:

• Lesson plans/planning - 
• I am thinking that I want to make a binder for each subject 
• So each binder would contain - lesson plans for that subject, teaching materials, notes, etc
• I would also like to have a general binder for daily routines, gradebook
• curriculum map for the year

Did I also mention that I am taking a class this summer that is required by the district. I have been putting off the homework for that class as well. But for now, I am off to see Cars2 with the little guy...hope to get something done tonight!