On changing teaching style

Of course my teaching style has changed from last year.

A year's experience gives you some indication of what you should be doing, how you should be doing, what you kids need to learn. That being said, it's not really enough to get it all right, and I certainly still flounder trying to get my kids to grasp concepts.
Mainly the difference is in planning. Firstly, I actually write out lesson plans- real ones, not just the ones I threw up last year for my school, for nearly every lesson. Having a decent lesson really requires some coordination, and I find that even if I don't follow the plan exactly, having a plan makes my life easier in the classroom, and frees up my mind for other important stuff. It is not impossible, however, to have a decent lesson without a great plan, I don't think. I can understand how experienced teachers get used to just knowing what works.
The plans I write are different, too. Last year my lessons usually centered on one activity for a whole class, or almost a whole class, and the activities were often teacher-centered. I would go over a worksheet they were supposed to have done, or give notes, or lead a game. This year my lessons tend to be broken down into 5-15 minutes activities, during which students are working and I am monitoring. This seems to keep their attention better, since the responsibility is on them to be working, and since their attention span can be shorter. Of course, in between activities, students will often share, or we'll discuss, if it's appropriate. This also makes transitions cleaner, because it's really obvious when they should happen, so I can even plan roughly what I'm going to say.
For a lesson plan on biogeochemical cycles, for example, student will have a warm-up activity, followed by a teacher-led index card making activity, followed by five minutes to silently study their index cards, followed by a notes-hand out that they read silently for five minutes, followed by a class discussion and teacher-led comments and questioning on the hand-out, followed by a writing activity where students have to draw their or write out their own cycle.
It’s not perfect, and I find myself re-teaching more often than I’d like. It seems to be better, though, and I’m working on it.