Archive for August 1st, 2009

At teacher training class this morning, everyone was talking about their progress in getting classrooms set up. They seemed all to have gone shopping, and bought posters, and were creating laminated charts, and buying stickers and colored borders, and just generally showing that they have it together when it comes to knowing how to set up a classroom.

I, on the other hand, have not been thinking about this, having turned my mind to other, seemingly more urgent matters. But now, with the day of reporting to my room imminent, I have to admit the truth: I don’t have any great ideas for posters, charts, or other displays. The only things I’ve come up with are:

1) I have a set of rules I made last week, laminated by CopyMax.

2) I plan to buy some plants to put in the windows.

3) I am hoping to get permission to have a class pet.

4) I will bring a broom and dustpan, I suppose, and sweep behind the furniture, which I somehow believe will be necessary, perhaps only because it would be necessarily if you tried to open an unused room at my home after months.

So on Monday I am supposed to go out and get my class ready. I am hoping that inspiration will strike when I see the room again. The last time I saw it was the day I was hired, and all I remember was a row of lockers in the back, a generally dark overall character, two teacher desks, one metal and one wood, and a blank discipline referral sitting on the table at the front, which I considered, at the time, not the best foreboding signal.

I have lots of great ideas for lesson plans, but I can’t think of anything to put up on the walls. What will I start with? The writing process. I will make a poster of the 5 steps. Then, something about the water cycle. I’ve always liked the water cycle. And maybe a couple of pictures of my heroes. Who are my heroes? I can think of a few. It’s a start. I’ll go Monday to see the room again, and draw a diagram, and go from there.