So, it's been like, FOR-EEHHHHHHHHH-VER since I posted. I mean, the ENTIRE year. I've been, um, how should I put this.... overwhelmed? That's putting it pretty mildly. I've had a large class, some behavior issues, changes in curriculum and tested criteria, stress (mostly self-induced), good benchmark scores, horrid benchmark scores.... you know, pretty much the typical teacher stuff. But this week, we had a fun week. I mean, school-sanctioned F-U-N week. So I went nuts. It's Read Across America Week (which coincides with Dr. Seuss's birthday), and I chose the book Oh, The Places You'll Go! I love the book, and had actually already read it to my class. My favorite Dr. Seuss quote comes from the book ("You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.") It was a perfect fit. Everything I Googled (or searched for on Pinterest) showed the cover... that weird, striped funnel thing. That's what I painted on my T-shirt for Friday's dress up day. I wanted something a little more... well, something you could relate to. I chose balloons and the page with the castle. Here's what I came up with.

I've been HIRED!

SCORE! Someone has deemed me worthy! I had one interview and it went well -- I was surprised by my ability to keep things on topic (as I tend to wander...) and felt that I really had something to SAY. I'll be teaching 5th grade at a Title 1 school at which I subbed this spring. The school was built in 1926 and I just visited "MY" classroom today. The principal is trying to maximize her resources, and so is having students eat their lunch in their classrooms next year. In light of this decision, she decided that the kindergarteners should be as close to the lunch line as possible to minimize their tray-carrying distance -- and the current arrangement has them on the opposite end of the building. SO. Long story short -- what WAS a K classroom will now be my 5th grade classroom. Things will need to be re-hung, the VERY primary color scheme is going to have to go... and it's time to dust off the 'ol tool belt. :-) I'm so excited, though, by the prospect of some service learning projects for my 5th graders to teach them to invest in their community. I see grant writing in my very near future!! I tackle this new adventure with great zeal and enthusiasm!! :-D

Travel-themed classroom

So I've decided on a travel theme for my future classroom (Lord willing, to be decorated this fall)! I love the idea of "Learning is not a destination, it's a journey" as a bulletin board "title." I'm imagining passports, tickets, maps, travel brochures... all kinds of fun travel-themed stuff. I love the idea of a world map with "Where We've Been" pins. I can't decide if I want to stick with global travel, just USA contiguous state travel (i.e., Road Trip), or do a mix of both. I mean, I'm a license-plate-game-aholic, to I'd incorporate that somehow! Too many ideas, to little time (and money)!

"Complain globally, praise locally"

Saw this quote on a blog I follow (thecornerstoneforteachers.com) and thought about how much better "lounge lizard syndrome" would be if we all adhered to it! It's noble to say, "Oh, I never go into the teacher's lounge," but in a tiny school? There's NOWHERE ELSE to GO! I mean, I feel cooped up in one classroom all day. I need adult interaction! It's one of the reasons I went back to school and got my certification. My kids are great, but... as my dad says, "There's only so many times you can scrub the floor." I've had the unique experience this year to student teach and long-term sub in the same building. I've been in the same building from August until April -- not a "real" teacher, but a quasi part of the team. As such, I had no contract, no guarantee of another day of employment. It was helpful in forcing me to remember -- if you want to be hired, you'd better watch your tongue! If I'd had a contract, would I have approached those convos in the lounge a little differently? I'm ashamed to say -- I think I would have been a little freer with my opinion. So between that experience, and this new little mantra, I think I will avoid the lounge lizard syndrome!!

Fiddlin' with the new iPad!

Well, after much research and debate, I purchased an iPad yesterday (16gb, WIFI & 4G). I've spent weeks looking into classroom uses and have tagged several apps that will help me in my pursuit of a "paperless" classroom (more on that later). I brought it home, plugged it in, and..... have been staring at it ever since! It's a little overwhelming, to be quite frank. I mean, I had a PLAN! I was READY for this! But it's sleek design and blank slate are intimidating. So far, I've used some of the tips and tricks I found over at the Apps in Education blog (here) and have added my Google Calendar. A full 24 hours later and THIS is all I have accomplished! So much for touting myself as a "techie!" My cover's been blown by an innocuous looking inanimate object! Hopefully, the next week or so will prove vastly more productive!

Innaugural Post

I've finished my student teaching, I'm certified (and certifiable!), I've just completed a 10-week long-term sub job in 3rd grade, submitted my application and.......... I'm waiting. This week off has been great for blog hopping (which I'm counting as "professional development"). I knew I wanted to blog my first year teaching, but I've been so inspired by all the creative ideas and shared resources that I've decided to start now! Between discovering Pinterest, TeachersPayTeachers, and dozens of great teacher blogs, I'm so excited to start teaching that I'm ready to knock door-to-door at schools begging for a classroom! Until next post....!