The August sunrise over the city was indeed lovely at 6:15 am this morning... at that point, I'd already been up for an hour, creating dayplan templates on the computer, since I simply hadn't been able to keep my eyes open past 1:00 a.m. while working on them the "night" before after spending a full day at school!
At 6:15, before the boys woke up, I took a little break and walked out onto the balcony to appreciate my scenic view for a few minutes.
At 6:15, before the boys woke up, I took a little break and walked out onto the balcony to appreciate my scenic view for a few minutes.
Today marked Day 4 in my week of "slogging" in my new classroom, and thanks to the support of a cast of thousands (okay, well, maybe "dozens" is closer to the truth), my room is beginning to look like a place where I can teach and students can learn math. And science.
This is the first time I've forgotten to take "before" photos, but rest assured, it was the usual mess of falling apart bulletin boards and desks all mashed up in a big pile in the middle of the room when I arrived on Monday morning.
This is the first time I've forgotten to take "before" photos, but rest assured, it was the usual mess of falling apart bulletin boards and desks all mashed up in a big pile in the middle of the room when I arrived on Monday morning.
Thankfully (and fortuitously), I had happened across a newly-hired OT from my board while running a yard sale in the adjacent city earlier in the summer; she was buying one of my old Anne Davies professional resources and a whole slew of kids' books. When she told me she was a new and as-yet-unassigned teacher in my board, I rubbed my hands together with glee, and tried to temper my delirious excitement when I asked her if she might want to volunteer in my classroom in exchange for some experience and mentoring!!! (My partner is currently living and working in another province, and I won't have a student teacher until January, so I was all alone this year for classroom set-up; no easy feat when moving to a new school, especially after being on leave for a year!)
The dear girl obliged, and faithfully followed up by email a few weeks before school return as I had instructed her to. (Not only that, but she also makes her own cosmetic products, and is TESL certified -- I can tell this is a good one, and I am sure she will be working full time in no time, but in the meantime, I hope to develop a symbiotic professional relationship!)
Brittany was a Godsend, almost single-handedly putting together my bulletin boards (I decided on the more cost- and time-effective fadeless paper route this time, rather than painting, but there still seemed to be a ridiculously large quantity of trim to cut and staple.... and then we ran out of staples on the first day and had to go begging for more!). She also did a goodly chunk of the cleaning out, sorting and labeling of lower cabinets. (Alex and I had done the upper ones earlier in the week.)
The dear girl obliged, and faithfully followed up by email a few weeks before school return as I had instructed her to. (Not only that, but she also makes her own cosmetic products, and is TESL certified -- I can tell this is a good one, and I am sure she will be working full time in no time, but in the meantime, I hope to develop a symbiotic professional relationship!)
Brittany was a Godsend, almost single-handedly putting together my bulletin boards (I decided on the more cost- and time-effective fadeless paper route this time, rather than painting, but there still seemed to be a ridiculously large quantity of trim to cut and staple.... and then we ran out of staples on the first day and had to go begging for more!). She also did a goodly chunk of the cleaning out, sorting and labeling of lower cabinets. (Alex and I had done the upper ones earlier in the week.)
Once again I swore not to spend my own money on my classroom, and once again, I relieved myself of nearly a thousand dollars: Ikea-furnished reading corner (yes, even Grade 7 and 8s love that stuff!!), artsy trim, math-inspired and encouraging quote posters, markers, notebooks and pocket files!!! Yes, it's true, apparently this intermediate school does not supply student "stuff". But I NEEDED the pocket files, for how else was I going to implement the brilliant guided/balanced math program I had learned about at one of the workshops I attended this summer and plan to run this year, featuring problem solving folders???!!!
Since the school seems to be flush for manipulatives, and since my new classroom has ample storage, and since my "moving guy" with a van has had some health problems which precluded him from being as involved this year as in previous years, I elected to finally let go of my trusty, wooden math storage unit and blue bins filled with manipulatives that I have acquired over the years. ($1000 worth of stuff I sold for under $300 -- ahhh, but it makes me happy to empower another teacher, whose mental health and whose students will surely benefit from the availability of well organized, classroom-based manipulatives).
And it offset my own costs somewhat.
Since the school seems to be flush for manipulatives, and since my new classroom has ample storage, and since my "moving guy" with a van has had some health problems which precluded him from being as involved this year as in previous years, I elected to finally let go of my trusty, wooden math storage unit and blue bins filled with manipulatives that I have acquired over the years. ($1000 worth of stuff I sold for under $300 -- ahhh, but it makes me happy to empower another teacher, whose mental health and whose students will surely benefit from the availability of well organized, classroom-based manipulatives).
And it offset my own costs somewhat.
While unpacking various and sundry boxes, I happened across the charger for my old iPad which had been stolen in BsAs last year -- sent it over to my old school, which gratefully accepted the donation, since they have a whole whack of old iPads with frequently-missing cords!
My new school/classroom comes with pros and cons. A few of both:
My new school/classroom comes with pros and cons. A few of both:
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It's Thursday night now, and after four full days (and nights) of working to prepare for Week One as best as possible, I am off to spend one final weekend on PEI. Despite the help of a dear friend, who hung out with the kids for a few days so they wouldn't have to be bored to tears helping mom and dad put their classrooms together, and the help of said dad, who offered rides in exchange for breakfasts, dinners and other treats, and the help of the kids themselves, who at age 10 are actually beginning to be useful in such matters, and the help of the lovely Brittany, who really did some hard manual labour for the two part-days she was in, I could STILL use about 6 more hours to get ready, lol!
But my body is TIRED and BROKEN, and I simply need to get one more weekend in on the Island before the season is over for another year. It's important for both my soul and for my relationship, the latter of which will suffer enough hardships as we embark on our first year of nearly full-time long distance!!!
My desks are grouped, my day plans are copied, materials for the first activity are sorted and set up, and I am ready for a few days of pastoral serenity.
PEI, here I come....
My desks are grouped, my day plans are copied, materials for the first activity are sorted and set up, and I am ready for a few days of pastoral serenity.
PEI, here I come....
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