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T-Minus...

It's Sunday afternoon.  Less than 24 hours to go before the First Day of School.  Wow.  Where did summer go?

My room is ready, my clothes are ready, my plans are ready.  But am I ready?  I think so.  Haircuts have been gotten, new medications for school nurses have been gotten and delivered, school shopping is (partly) done (see earlier post on that one), and the kids are getting their backpacks ready. 

We're going to enjoy these last few hours of freedom, for tomorrow, it begins!

Room Arranging Has Begun!

Oh, the joys of organization.  Right.  I was in the building this past week arranging my room.  Painfully so.  Here's the deal:  temps were in the high 80s/low 90s, my building has no air conditioning, my room faces the bus loop (which is on the sunny side of the building--of course!), and air flow is not the best.  Needless to say, I was a sweaty, stinky, tired mess at the end of the day each day.  And I have more this week.  Joy.

With all that said, however, I did make some progress.  I cleaned out two of the four drawers of my filing cabinet.  They all looked like this:

Overflowing. 
This is my Language Arts drawer.  I have stories, writing projects, journals, and daily language practice in here.  Sadly, this was not one of the two drawers I made it through on Friday.  I just didn't have the energy to do it after the other two.  However,  Monday is a different story.

But then, about an hour and a half later...

Progress! 
This is the first half of my math program, Units 1-6.  Units 7-12 are in the drawer underneath.  I literally could not get any more papers in this drawer before cleaning it out.  Doesn't it look purty? 

Aside from the filing cabinet, I also managed to arrange my desks, get some posters up, and clean out my desk.  I still need to reorganize my class library, and finish my last two file drawers.  Really looking forward to that.   (You can hear the sarcasm, right?) 

On a brighter note, I did come up with more ideas to help make life a little easier.  Grab a pencil or hit "Print"; here they are!

• Keep two copies of all worksheets.  One for sending away to copy; one to have as a backup.
• File according to math lesson, social studies lesson, language arts story, etc.  All sheets, models, overheads, and patterns go in the file folder.  I also file writing, daily language practice, holidays, etc. by themselves.  I'm a fan of color coding by subject, too. 
• Keep a list of reference books written in the inside cover.  For example, in my Black History Month folder, I've listed all of the books and stories I have in my library so I can pull them when needed.   
• Keep duplicate overheads.  When you have the same overhead to reference across several lessons, you won't have to hunt around or try to remember which story/lesson to file it with.
• Before sending out your family welcome letters, check your roster against the nurse's roster for food allergies.  You can put the information in your letter so parents are aware before school even starts.  Useful for snack time and class parties.  
• If your materials come in shrink wrap, use an envelope opener.  You will save time and your scissors can take a break.
• Use painter's tape to put up decorations.  It's less messy than Sticky Clips and comes off better than regular masking tape.  Your custodians will thank you.
• When putting your items together for students, make at least one extra set.  (This means books, folders, journals, parent info sent during the first week, etc.)  If you get a new student during the year, you don't have to hunt around for the materials.  A set is already there. See below. 

Ready for a new student.  Paperwork is in a separate folder in my desk.

Hope this helps.  More to come; stay tuned!  

More Preparation

I've been slowly getting my school supplies.  (I like to catch the sales, so I get a little each week.)  This week I stocked up on Crayola crayons, 25 cents a box, down from $1.19 a box at Target.  Good deal made better considering I had to buy 24 boxes! 

I also bought my pens from Office Max. If you are like me, I am particular about what I write with on a daily basis.  I like pens with brightly colored ink, medium to large points, and thick barrels, preferably with a gel cushion or something.  I usually buy Pentech pens, but I found some pens with my specifications at a great price:  two packs of five for just over $3.00.  (They are buy one, get one this week.) 

I still need to order school supplies online; that will be done in the next two days or so.  Hopefully what I need will still be in stock.  It's a bit late, true, but I also have two school-age children I've been simultaneously buying supplies for as well. 

We're finally down to the school clothes part.  Although, I don't usually buy new clothes before school starts.  I buy shoes and a few basics, but then I wait until after the school year begins to get the rest (when it's on clearance!).  This is not to say my kids go to school in raggedy clothes. Definitely not. They have play clothes and regular clothes (for errands, doctor's appointments, church, and now, school).  Play clothes stay home. (Although my youngest would have no problems wearing his favorite play shirt EVERYWHERE!)

Anyhow, I found that Jo Ann Fabrics and Big Lots are having their Teacher Appreciation Days this weekend, August 14 (Big Lots) and August 14-15 (Jo Ann Fabrics).  Be sure to check your local area for offers from other stores, especially Borders/Waldenbooks, and some of the larger department stores.  I've got my eye on a wicker chair at Big Lots; I've been looking for a new reading chair for class.  I also have my eye on some safari-themed fabric at Jo Ann Fabrics.  I want to make a new cushion for my chair and maybe new curtains for my classroom windows to add color.  The beige and giraffe curtains I currently have are a little drab against the beige walls and cabinets of the room.  Now I know I told you I was able to make said curtains for under $20.  I am not going to spend a ton on fabric if I decide to make new curtains.  With the current sale on the safari-themed fabric, (50% off), it comes to $3.50 a yard.  Add an extra 20% off if I go on Saturday, and I can still get what I need for under $20.  I guess I need to make a decision because time is ticking fast!
 
Three weeks.  Sigh.

I'm slooowly getting there.

Planning

Okay.  Today was spent going through my beginning-of-the-year checklist.  You know, the list that reminds me of what needs to be done to prepare for the school year and what to get finished.  I've begun gathering things for this school year.  I've gathered plastic twin-pocket folders to use for take-home folders. (I like these better than laminated folders because they are extremely durable.  Got them on sale at Target this week for 35 cents each.)

I also purchased my personal planner.  I use a Mead student planner because I prefer the layout to other planners I've used--and I'll admit, I like the funky patterns.  

Past that, I've been taking inventory of extras.  You know, the things you wish you had when something happens, but didn't really think of getting until something happens.  My classroom "extras" list is comprised of:

• Band-Aids
• Kleenex
• Select-a-size paper towels (Just the right size for little hands.)
• Hand sanitizer (If your school permits it.)
• Ziploc baggies in snack and sandwich sizes (SO many uses!)
• Baby wipes (If you use them for the overhead or wiping small hands, you can usually get away with cutting them in half before use. They last twice as long.)
• Hand soap refills (I find that foaming hand soap is easier to rinse and lasts much longer than regular liquid soap.) 

I usually display little cards with the name of an item from the list above during Parent Night.  That way, parents can choose what item(s) to donate.  I also display them during conference days so I can be stocked throughout the year. 

My personal "extras" list consists of:

• Deodorant (No A/C in my building!)
• Safety pins
• Extra body spray (See note about deodorant!)
• Mints
• Lip gloss
• Personal hand sanitizer (For use after sneezing, coughing, touching student papers and folders, etc.)
• Excedrin
• Personal sewing kit (For those little mishaps.) 

I keep these locked in my class closet.  (Except the mints, lip gloss, and personal hand sanitizer; those stay at my desk for quick access.) 

Other things you may want to keep (locked away) in your room are:

• Extra batteries (For games and gadgets that need them.)
• Screwdriver  (For getting backs off of said games and gadgets.)
• Disinfectant like Lysol
• All-purpose cleaner
• Sponges 

I've also been gleaning through my worksheets and organization papers for centers, rules, etc.  I've found that I have quite a few saved on my computer at school, and need to get them off.  Hopefully I can get into my room Monday.  I found my sheets for centers, test folders, behavior tracking grid, desk fairy, and student background.  Now if you're not familiar with some of these, don't fret.  All explanations will accompany the sheets when posted.

Been a Little Busy...

Okay, okay.  It's been a while since I've posted.  I've been busy with helping my daughter prep for her summer orchestra concert, hosting guests for a few days, cleaning out my garage and closets in preparation for a yard sale, and traveling out of town for a family reunion.  Somewhere in there, I've been tutoring several times a week. 

That said, I have created some worksheets to use this coming year and have been updated with the master schedule for this next school year.  I have a few more sheets I'm working on and will post for your review (and use if you so choose).  

Stay tuned...

How Did I Get Here, Anyway?

At some point when you're a child, you decide what you want to do when you grow up.  For me, I wanted to me a marine biologist (and actually went to college as a biology major), an archaeologist, or an environmental scientist (this long before being green was a way of life).  Nowhere in there was there a career dealing with teaching.  Not. A. Singular. Thought. 

I went to college and decided my sophomore year that I didn't want to be a scientist anymore (although I still love learning about the scientific world); there was no room for the creative side of me.  So I thought I'd fall back on my second love, writing.  I changed majors and became a student in my school's journalism program.  I loved my classes because I could write, and journalism has a scientific quality to it in that there are formulas for everything you do.  Style manuals to consult.  Methods to write all information as concisely as possible.   English rules learned in school.  Guidelines for proofreading and editing work to make it readable.  All while still being creative.  I was home.  I graduated with a degree in journalism and was ready to take on the world.  Sort of.

I knew I was going to graduate school, so I went back home after graduation and worked with the YMCA for a period of time before moving away to grad school.  I was a school-age (K-5) child care teacher in those hours before school begins and after school lets out.  During the school day I worked on site at the Y in the toddler room.  I loved being with the children and had fun.  But I was still on my way to grad school.

I moved to Baltimore to take courses in African history and earn my Master's degree in graduate school (where I met my husband).  My ultimate goal was to graduate with my degree and then go back to writing--this time in the form of textbooks.  As someone who grew up with parents who spent their childhoods and young adult lives during the Civil Rights era, I was one generation out of the change and turmoil that took place.  I wanted to write textbooks that added in accomplishments of African-Americans throughout history.  (I cannot tell you how frustrating it was growing up and being asked to do Black History reports for class, only to find that there was information for a handful of people: Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass.  It was like my history began with slavery, took a hiatus, continued with Civil Rights, and ended.)  Taking the courses in grad school was really eye-opening.  From pre-colonial Africa to present-day current events, from continental Africa to the world, I could not believe there was so much wonderful information out there just waiting to  be shared! 

I finished at Morgan as a married woman with little bundle on the way.  I found a few jobs temping at writing agencies, but nothing substantial until a month or so after my daughter was born.  I found a job working for an investment company proofreading documents.  The pay was wonderful, the benefits were excellent, but the time spent in the office was hard.  Deadline, deadline, deadline.  Add in my daily commute (2+ hours each day), and I was miserable.  I was blessed that my husband was able to provide care for our daughter for nearly the first year of her life due to his work schedule, but that didn't last long.  He found a better-paying job and we had to put her in daycare.  Our provider was awesome--nurturing, organized, academically minded.  But even then there was a nagging depression in my spirit.  I hated not being able to see my daughter more than a few hours a day.  Something had to give.

Shortly before my daughter's second birthday, I had a long talk with God.  I asked Him what I needed to be doing.  And in my spirit, I heard one word: "Teach."  I waited for confirmation of this idea, and it came from three unlikely places.  But it came nonetheless.  So I applied for a job fair with the help and guidance of a friend who was teaching and was hired on the spot to teach in an urban school system.  Looking back, God had prepared me for the career He had in mind.  I helped my mom with the children who stayed with us from time to time as foster children.  I tutored K-2 students in my junior and senior years in high school.  I spent many hours babysitting.  I tutored in college.  I worked in the Y's program.  I was a parent.  Shortly after being hired, I quit my job at the investment company and spent several wonderful months with my daughter. 

My employment as a teacher was conditional on the fact that I needed to take courses and earn my teaching degree, as I didn't have one.  So the first two years of teaching involved learning everything needed to plan, organize, and discipline students along with quite a few graduate-level education courses through another college; courses needed to earn my certificate. 

In the layout of my courses, there was no student teaching.  I started classes shortly after the school year started.  Any first-year teacher knows how hard just getting "into the groove" is.  Add to that a toddler, a household to run, and a spouse who worked 60-70 hour weeks, and it was more like trial by fire.  A SERIOUS learning curve.  But by grace, I made it.  By the time my son arrived (during the spring of my second year of teaching), I had the same challenges listed above along with a newborn.  By grace, I finished all of my coursework (early!) the semester after having my son.  By grace, I earned tenure that same year.  By grace. BY.GRACE.

I stayed in the district a total of five years before moving to another state.  The experiences I had during those five years are the cogs that turn the wheel for this blog.  From dealing with students across learning abilities and styles to non-English speakers, from supplying ALL of your classroom needs out of your own pocket to deteriorating buildings, from the varied academic, social, and emotional needs of my students to the unconditional love of children, I've learned a LOT.  I plan to share more on some of the tools, tricks, and techniques I've learned in the future.

Hope you'll stick around for more of the story.