A Lovely Day to Start the Year

First of all let me wish all of you a fantastic new year full of happiness. Though, it's already been the 9th day of the wonderful 2012, today was officially the first of school for us this year. The children were nothing but excited when they got to school. Though the weather was cloudy and damp, they're spirit were like the smiling sun (well, excuse my over-exaggeration... but you got my point, right?)

New Year is definitely a good time to fix and make things better. We worked very hard--yet enjoyed every second of it--for three days before school began to boost the children's excitement when they stepped inside their class rooms. And we did it by redecorating all corners of our rooms and also by changing most of the learning materials. All of the tiredness from lifting, cutting, pasting, thinking, arguing, google-ing, creating, going back and forth the stairs, and staying up late for couple of nights were paid off once we felt the enthusiasms of those young learners.

As a teacher, I personally love New Years because it's a good way to start something new in the class. For example, though our ground-rules remain the same as last year's, today I refreshed all of it by executing them differently. First, is by taking pictures of students doing the rules and posting them in a spot in the class room where they can see them clearly from all angles and second by is by introducing them to the stamp of good behavior of the day. My aim is to motivate the students so at the end, they have the willingness to motivate themselves through doing every tasks given to them.
Rule 1: Walk in the Class Room

Rule 2: Speak Softly (with indoor voice)

Rule 3: Everything has a home

Rule 4: Tap your friends/teacher if you want to speak

Rule 5: Roll the mat after using it