#2: I know where things are in my school building.
#3: My classroom is set up. Last year was painful as I tried to organize and declutter the classroom I inherited. This summer's goals were to refine the systems I had in place last year, and the overall layout of my room.
#4: I know what I'm teaching, and I have scope and sequences that I created for the courses that I teach. They need to be tweaked, but I have an overall plan for the entire school year. A huge difference from last year when I had no idea what I was teaching for one of my courses.
#5: I know the people that I'm working with.
#6: I know the school climate, I know some of the students that I will have this year, and I know to expect some of the things that surprised me last year.
#7: I have an idea of the upcoming work load, and I have a plan for a routine for this school year.
#8: I get to try using Interactive Notebooks this year. Now that I'm in the process of integrating Interactive Notebooks, I know that I was right in suspecting that it would have been too much work for me last year. In fact, it would have been impossible and an utter failure.
#9: I'm not the only one anymore. This summer I've found fellowship in following other blogs, joining Twitter and participating in chats, and joining the Global Math Department. In my school I am the only math teacher teaching my courses. Being a part of these online communities make me feel less alone.
#10: I'm ready. While some of my fellow teachers were writing syllabi and fixing their websites, I was copying materials and planning for the second week of instruction. I spent most of my summer getting ready for this school year, and I definitely feel that it has paid off. I feel so much more comfortable with where I am in my planning, and I don't have the same overall panicked feeling I had last year because I am prepared.
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