Well, good golly! Things have been just crazy around my house.
School finally started on August 11th. I know, I know. Where the heck have I been then? Well, when I finally got into my classroom a week before school started. That was a bit frustrating, but there’s not much I could have done. It was the same for not only all of the new teachers, but that’s how it was for returning teachers, too.
During my New Teacher days (a few days of orientation and whatnot), I was able to meet some of the other new teachers at my school. I was the only new third grade teacher, but there were also new teachers at every other grade level. Most of them were first-year teachers, with the exception of one who is a second-year teacher. They all seem very nice. Three of them were from Michigan. I wasn’t the only mid-western (or Yankee). Yay!
Once I did get into my classroom, I saw that it was filled with about twenty huge boxes of stuff that I soon realized I would have to go through and sort. The previous teacher had apparently left all of her stuff in the cupboards, and someone just went through and emptied it all into the boxes. That meant that each box was an atrocious mess. This also meant that I really didn’t get to start on my room right away. I wasn’t too worried, though, because I am an experienced teacher, and I should be able to put together a classroom through those kinds of challenges.
Between all of the meetings and the sorting through things that weren’t mine (but I had to keep some of the things), I was able to at least get the rooms set up adequately enough. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be! The type of room is completely different than the one I was accustomed to and I had tables instead of desks. I don’t even remember the number of times that I dragged the five or six tables around trying to find the “perfect” setup. I never found it. I still haven’t found it, in fact! Heh.
The room is slowly but surely coming together. The other teachers on my team are all very creative and decorative, which is really important at this school. Yikes! I’m more of a use-the-kids’-work-as-decoration kind of person, which obviously takes time to really get done. This school is also very poster-oriented. Yeah, I went out and bought more posters. Just stick posters up and I guess my room will be more actively educational and inviting. Heh. Don’t get me wrong. I like posters that have useful information. I’m all for them! However, I feel that there really needs to more of a reason to have them up than because it’s what’s done. Does that make sense?
I’m finding my footing at a new school. There are new rules, new expectations, new guidelines, and new boundaries to find. It’s very intimidating for someone like me. I want to make sure that I do everything correctly, but sometimes it’s so hard to remember everything. Something that makes complete sense to me is something that just isn’t done. And vice versa: things that seem odd or strange to me is completely normal here. I have to learn new sensible things.
The first week of school was really long! I had almost everything ready. One of the things that I am adjusting to (rather slowly, I might add) is that if I haven’t bought the supplies to make something, I can’t make it—construction paper, tape, staples, cardstock, etc. What used to be at my disposal is now something that I have to make sure that I have purchased. I’ll get used to . . . soon . . . I hope!
I enjoyed meeting all of my students. I had twenty students on my roster on the first day, but only sixteen students showed up. Throughout the week, I was given another student, and he speaks no English. He speaks Portuguese, which I know nothing about. Fortunately I have a very bright student who is originally from Brazil and speaks fluent Portuguese. I have the young man sitting next to her and she basically teaches him everything because she translates everything that I say that he needs to know. I feel so bad that I can’t communicate with him. My ESL student last year spoke Spanish, which I knew a little, so I could communicate a bit with him. I can’t communicate at all with this little boy. I did ask the young lady to write down some common words for me, and she did. Hopefully that will help a bit—for both the boy and for me!
It’s been a fun first week of school! We practiced procedures a lot—walking in the hall, classroom transitions, listening quietly during a discussion, etc. The first couple days we go over rules, consequences (positive and negative), the behavior expectations, fire drills, and other “fun” stuff! We also do some of those fun back-to-school activities to break up the boring ol’ procedure things. All of these things make the week really long. Next week, though, we get to start doing the real teaching. That will be much better. Not only do the kids need structure, but I work much better on a schedule myself.
I am really eagerly anticipating this school year. I am working with six wonderful teachers, and I have a sweet and interesting class. (Did I mention that I am one of four Caucasian bodies in my classroom?) I can’t wait to find out what this year brings. There’s new curriculum for me to learn and teach. There are new people with whom I get to work. There are new opportunities to better myself as a teacher.
What more could a girl want?
Here’s to a GREAT year!
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