Year 1 of Teaching
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit!
MAP Data and Growth
Although I gather data regarding my students on more than just MAP scores, I believe MAP is a good indicator for both students and teachers in what we can improve on academically. I was very proud that over half of my class met their growth goal from Fall 2024 to Winter 2024 and again in the Spring of 2025! In addiction to that, my class average RIT score in the Fall for Math was a 170 which is the 79th percentile, and my average RIT score for Reading was a 166 which also falls in the 84th percentile in comparison to other first graders in the United States. Comparing that to my Spring Scores, my average RIT score for Math was 187 (growing 18 points) for my class as a whole. Our grade level goal for Spring Math was a 176 and I am happy to report all of my students scored above that! We will be taking our Spring Reading Test on Friday, April 25th.
I observed that a lot of my students fell into the low growth, high achievement category when we took the Winter session of the test in December. As a teacher I was proud of them that so many of them were scoring above grade level, but I still wanted them to meet their growth goals. Into the spring I worked in small groups challenging my higher performing students in order to help them meet their personal growth, even it it was above out grade level material. I am hopeful that this will reflect in their Spring scores and a lot of my high flyers will meet their growth goals establish by MAP.
Math MAP Data
Math MAP Data
Reading MAP Data
Reading MAP Data
Reading MAP Data
Math MAP Data
First Year FAQs
How have you changed as a teacher in your first year of teaching?
I have grown a lot in my first year of teaching. I have established that I love a routine and I thrive on normalcy. I have learned to set boundaries and stick to them, even it is difficult. I learned that kids forgive and forget and they will love you (probably more) if you gain their respect and have clear authority in the classroom. I learned that I get overwhelmed by a lot of papers everywhere. I have learned that I love having a clean desk. Lastly, I have learned that the world through the eyes of a child is so special and is worth being cherished. I could go on forever about all of the things I have learned this year, but these are a few!
What has been your favorite day of your first year of teaching?
Among the “special” days in our classroom, Saint Patrick’s Day had to be my favorite. I loved having one of the student’s dads come into our room dressed as “Lucky the Leprechaun,” and having the Leprechaun wreck our room was absolutely priceless and something I will never forget. In addition to that, the normalcy of smooth, easy days are some of my favorites. I have loved moments of walking around the classroom, with my students working independently, and looking around thinking “I am really a teacher! And I am doing a good job at it too!”
What has been your favorite lesson?
In student teaching, I did a worm unit and at the end we got to observe real worms, which has been one of my favorites. I also loved doing shadows and shadow puppets in science this year. We just made litter monsters which turned out adorable and I loved when we play subtraction and addition checkers in math!
Best and hardest part of your first year?
The best part has been my relationships with my students and their families and watching them grow everyday.
The hardest part has been accepting failure and learning how to learn ad grow to make it less of a “failure” and more of a learning opportunity!
