AuburnChick's Adventures

Today was filled with many activities, including a faculty breakfast.

The school’s band marched in and played quite a few songs for us.  My heartstrings went all crazy as I watched the kids having fun…taking PRIDE in what they were doing.  As a band mom for the last few years, I know how much work these students put into their craft.  I also knew that there is a good chance that I will be teaching students who are in band.

My principal gave an inspiring speech, and I truly felt like I am a part of a very special group of people.  There are good things happening at this school.

When we were dismissed from the meeting, I headed straight to my room.  I had a lot more work to do.

I gave my podium a second coat of white paint, fixed the bulletin board by my door, and lugged five computers from a math room to my room.  During a conversation with another ninth grade reading teacher, I discovered that her classes will be maintaining classroom blogs.  Well, you know that my juniors and seniors blogged last year.  Naturally, I had planned to do some sort of blogging activity with my new students.  However, now I’ll be able to partner up with the other teacher.  Who knows…maybe we can get our students to comment on each others’ blogs!

This leads me to stop and reflect on something neat that’s happening with my move to the new school.

I am already growing by leaps and bounds simply by talking to fellow teachers…people who teach the same subject!

We are all in the same building, and throughout the week, as we have roamed around the hallways, we have popped our heads into each others’ classrooms.  I’ve been able to ask questions of all of the teachers, getting advice and different opinions about various strategies.

This chatting has, in turn, ignited my meta cognition (my newest big word from EPI) processes.  This is incredibly important…both for me and the students I will be teaching.  Thinking about the thinking process is how we get smarter…how we learn and apply new things.

I am in my element.

I took a break from my hard work and ate lunch with my mom, who was in town visiting a friend.  We haven’t had a great relationship over the years, so it was nice to have a short but meaningful chat.  She got to see my classroom, and she even ran errands with me from one end of campus to the other.

Not only that, but I ran into the school’s administrative staff at the restaurant we selected for lunch, so she got to meet them as well.

After saying goodbye to my mom, I returned to my classroom where I straightened up and, finally, got the chance to sit and think.

I started thinking about Monday…trying to do a dry run in my head.

Teaching requires a lot of mental preparation…ensuring that you fully maximize each minute you have with students.

As I closed the room on my door…at the not-so-early hour of 6pm, I snapped a few more photos…

I am about 98% finished with it now.

I have five computers without desks.  I should be able to secure these desks early next week.  They are large and heavy and will take some kids with muscle power to get them moved.

I also have a couch coming…a freebie from a friend…which I will put in the corner with the bookshelves, squaring out that area and, hopefully, finishing it off with a small, cheap, colorful rug.

Before you praise me for the way the room turned out, let me tell you that none of it would have been possible without the assistance of several reading teachers and my friend (the new literacy coach), Barbara.  I had nothing except for a green chair, pillow, basket, and three posters.  Everything else came from the generosity of these lovely ladies…ladies who also sport Sorelli but don’t bother to give that away (what is up with this selfish streak???).  😉

I will probably go in for a few hours on Saturday morning…give myself more time to think and mentally prepare for the upcoming week.

I am, in case you couldn’t tell, so excited about this new adventure.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teaching |