One year ago on I Want to Teach Forever, I chronicled an experiment where I cut my hair into a mohawk in an attempt to motivate my students (lots of pics)!
Two years ago (as of tomorrow), I shared a big hands-on project on measurement, volume and surface area suitable for middle school and up (plus, here are the awesome results of this project).
Three years ago, I wrote a referral for a disruptive student who "...was throwing pieces of erasers and other small objects all around the room and at other students. He had already been redirected at the beginning of the period. He continued and instigated other students to throw these things back at him, interrupting the lesson. He was asked to leave the room. The floor of my room is covered with these objects and I would like this student to sweep them up." The referral also listed all of my previous interventions: team conference with the student, a team/parent conference the week before this incident, another team/parent conference already scheduled for later that week, and three recent referrals. Not surprisingly, this student didn't pass that grading period (or the next).
I think that's more than enough nostalgia for one day! If you're interested in my evolution as a teacher, I've been publishing a journal I wrote five years ago, when I was a struggling second year teacher. It's as life-affirming and heartbreaking as anything I'll ever write here or anywhere, and I hope you have an opportunity to read about it.