"Happy New Year!"

Today's blog post is about these three little words.  To most, these words are used at the stroke of midnight on January 1st.  Heck, even my own students look at the title on their bellwork the first few days of school and question, "Happy new year?"  As if to say I got the date wrong or something.  For myself and my colleagues of course, it means the start of a new school year.

I really think these two times of year have so much in common.  Think about it.  There is such a sense of renewal for me when I meet my new little chemists each September.  I'm simply a ball of excitement and nerves as I walk into my classroom and anticipate the upcoming year.  Not only that, but my resolutions are always the same: "Eat lunch every day," "go to the bathroom during your prep," and "exercise at least three times a week."  And of course, you can't forget about the science teacher related resolutions: "I will do at least one guided inquiry activity per week," "incorporate more engineering activities," oh, and the good old: "I'll never take longer than a week to grade lab reports."  Like the resolutions I make in January, it's not so easy sticking to these but I do the best I can.  Depending on what is going on in my personal/professional life at the time can really dictate how well I hold up my end of the bargain.

I really loved this article that Edutopia published:  Excellent Habits of an Excellent Educator.  If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend reading it now.  In short, the article asks you to examine your habits and reflect on things that you can improve upon both in and out of the classroom.

It is my hope that as you begin your new school year, you are filled with much of the same excitement, anticipation, and dedication to not only your students, but to yourself.

Happy new year!

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Ms. Razz is an enthusiastic chemistry teacher in New Jersey.  She often counts herself to sleep at night using molecules or by reciting Avogadro's number. (For real.) She believes that every student has the power to learn anything, even chemistry.  After all, she remembers this hustle didn't always come easy to her. She's also a Teachers Pay Teachers seller and you can view and purchase her lessons here.