Planning for next year

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Now that this year is essentially over I've begun to think about next year. I'll have 2 preps, chemistry - which I teach every year, and biology - which I haven't taught in 3 years. I'm excited. I love chemistry and with feel like I'm just getting my groove with the modeling. I also love biology and I'm going to test out the biology modeling curriculum. I feel like I know enough about the modeling program to be able to pull it off without taking the class. 

One of the things that the biology modeling course promotes is interactive notebooks. Now I am a fan of these, a huge fan. But I've never been able to pull them off.  So for the past few days I've been reading up on them and watching videos and seeing if I can get a handle on them. In a couple of places I read that you have to plan ahead to pull these off. I think was my downfall in the past. I did great at the beginning of the year because I had put my notebook together and had a firm idea of what I wanted. But then as the semester progressed, I would forget to update my notebook and things would start to fall apart. I almost never filled out the notebook in advance of the class and I need to do that. I need to make it very intentional. What exactly do I want them to have in their notebooks? What do I want them to learn and get out of the lesson? I think this year with the modeling curriculum I will be able to do that. I think I have gotten to the point where I'm planning ahead. Last semester I planned each unit in advance and it worked out. So I think I'm in a position to really work on the notebook. So I will be really working on that this summer. I want to do it, so I will. 

Tonight is the prom and I am the dress code checker, so I must go get ready. 

Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA

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