Six Weeks into the School Year

We've been in school for six weeks, and I sadly haven't gotten a second to post. I'm doing a quick post between looking at data and waiting for dinner to be done. The year has actually been quite fantastic! Incredibly busy though, and I'm afraid of what will happen when I burn out. I am hoping that doesn't come soon, because I am enjoying the work I am doing, despite the time it has been taking in and out of the classroom. 

There's been a huge push for data in our school. I've always understood its importance and attempted to use it and keep it to guide my teaching. Yet, I think I've been on and off with it, between all the other things pressing and trying to keep my sanity while getting a grip on the beginning of my career as a teacher. This year is a different story. I began organizing my data before the school year started. I figured out systems for my classroom as far as organizing data and keeping it accessible  for planning and reflecting. These first weeks of school have been mad chaos as I've been trying to really get these systems up and going. It is crazy how much time and effort it takes to really put these systems into place... Even more difficult when you have almost 30 different sets of data to analyze, understand, and use! One of my favorite ways to organize my data are checklists. These are what I use most to keep track of my students' progress. Some are provided by the curriculum I use in my school and some I create myself. 

It's interesting how different this school year is from last year. It is seriously like night and day. My third year of teaching, second in New York City, is so much more comfortable than last year. (My first year of teaching was probably my favorite, despite how much I feel I have grown as a teacher since then. The environment I worked in was just all around better.) Although I do spend many moments during my days feeling like I'm stuck in a nightmare of chaos (what person stuck in a tiny room filled with desks and almost 30 10-year-olds doesn't though?), I am loving my many students and the way the school year is starting.