don’t look too long at that photo

That is advice for both you and I. That photo below is from the classroom I will be inheriting in September and, wow, it is such a mess. There must be about 100 unleveled books scattered all over. The teacher whose room it was is retiring — and, it seems, had been in retirement-mode all year — so I guess she didn’t care much about what the room looked like or if the kids had enough books at their level.

I wanted to add a teacher-y photo but every time I look at these pictures, there’s a subtle feeling of panic that creeps up my spine. Just look at those bins and that ugly carpet. Ick. And in case you are thinking, “well, she was moving out” – this is how it looked while class was still in session.

I had wanted to spend this whole summer mentally-preparing myself for my own class; instead, I’ve been teaching and taking classes. My mind is overbooked; no room for thoughts of third grade. And, especially, no room for imagining how I might make this room conducive for learning and inviting of creativity.

What have you found to be essential for laying out your classroom and putting a touch of your “self” into it? What helped you to decide decorations, etc?

I think decorations and such are regulated at my school. That may be a good thing, but I hope it isn’t too restrictive.

No Summer Break for me..

While many of my fellow cohort Fellows are enjoying their first summer vacation from a very intense first year of teaching (or first half-year for my mid-year cohorts), I decided to take a summer school teaching position. Why? Well, it was for both financial reasons and a need for classroom experience. At this point, I’m glad I did it, but I wish it was over. And I’m hoping it’s very different from when I have my own class.

It probably wouldn’t be so overwhelming and tiring if I wasn’t also taking two grad school classes from 2-7pm each night after school Mon-Thurs. It’s not even that the classes are a lot of work, but they are tiring and take up any down time I would otherwise have.

It grates on my nerves the lack of free time to relax and get my head together for September. I had really wanted to immerse myself in third grade curriculum and learn the Teachers College approach to Reading and Writing more deeply, but I just have not had the time. And the day after I’m done teaching, I’m going to Mexico for two weeks. The day after I come back will be just two days before I go set up my classroom. I really didn’t want my first time in a classroom to be as “By the seat of my pants” as being a push-in was, and I feel like I’m not in a position to change that.

So, here I am, feeling a bit out of control in terms of what I’m doing right now. Like I’m treading water in a current that’s pushing me both backwards and down.

Ah, yes, but I’m glad I got to see what being a classroom teacher is like before September….