Operation 2012-2013: My Goals for Next Year

As this school year winds down, I have been thinking of things I want to add and improve for the next school year. I would appreciate any ideas, tips, or comments you have as I initiate Operation 2012-2013.

• Common Core Integration-We are moving into the Common Core Standards. Although, I am familiar with the 4th grade standards, I need to familiarize myself with the 3rd grade standards. It will be necessary to fill in the gaps for this group of students. Also, I want to make sure my current curriculum matches the standards and make appropriate changes if needed.
• Better Writing Instruction-Teaching writing has always been a struggle for me. Often, proper writing instruction falls to the wayside because I just don't know the best approach to take. Over the summer, I plan to research various programs and find one that best fits my students and me. Any recommendations will be appreciated.
• Daily Five Implementation-I am familiar with the Daily Five. In fact, I own the book! However, I have never implemented the program completely. My goal this year is to fully implement the program in order to achieve success in all of my students.
• Revamp my Classroom Setup-My classroom is very small, and every inch of the space is utilized. I hope to maximize the space for easier flow, small group instructions, peer tutoring, and availability of materials for student use. I have found several ideas on Pinterest for storage seats made out of five gallon buckets, decorative boxes to store manipulatives and supplies, circular drying racks for displaying student work, etc. I've visited other classroom and gathered ideas. Also, I want to provide each student with a book box. I am still looking at various examples to find what will fit my limited space and budget most effectively. What do you use?
• Include Math Notebooking-Throughout the year, I have been introduced to math notebooking through blogs, Pinterest, and presentations. It is a topic that I think would be very influential in math learning. We are getting a new math program this year, so I plan to incorporate math notebooking with it.
• Do a Better Job with Science and Social Studies-This was a goal I had last year, and in my mind, I failed miserably. Due to a lack of time and a push for greater math and language arts instruction, my ideas of more project based learning activities, research projects, and hands-on experiments fell to the wayside. Students need to be immersed in science and social studies instruction.
• Provide Social Media Opportunities for Students-My students are give many opportunities to integrate technology into their learning. A whole other area of technology integration that I plan to tackle is social media. My students use Edmodo on a daily basis, but I want to expand into Twitter, blogging, website creation, Pinterest, etc. Kids of all ages are already using social media, but no one has ever stopped to teach them appropriate digital citizenship. I want my students to know how to use social media responsibly.

So, Operation 2012-2013 is now underway! This is a long list but one that is highly attainable. Can you help me stay accountable? Throughout the summer, I will be preparing for next year's class. My students deserve the very best education that I can provide. 

~Cara