Day 1 of unpacking

Went to school for about an hour today. I was pleasantly surprised to see the wall had been painted where the big cupboard used to be. I truly thought it would have been left an unpainted irregular rectangle where it had been against the wall.

I moved a few boxes, but I wasn't really motivated to unpack and rearrange. It wasn't as hot in the building as I had expected it to be, but one of my fans no longer moves.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to buy a shelving unit since I have a new configuration for my desk space. I swore I was not going to spend so much of my own money this year. I've already been to Target for markers, crayons, highlighters, dry-erase markers, pencil sharpeners, etc. The usual supplies that get consumed or wasted every year. Instead of the composition books I usually buy, I'm going to save myself $14 and try using the binders I had previously used for social studies. We'll see.

After all these years, I always feel like I've never done this before. I guess that's what happens when --You Get the Summer Off!

Too Hot!

I'm already starting to panic over getting my classroom ready for the parent open house that occurs BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS! The month of August is extrememly busy for me, my daughter's pregnancy may be having issues which means I need to be available to her, and I have received a summons for jury duty.

I thought about going in today to get things started, but there is a severe heat index in this area, and the thought of setting up my classroom in an un-airconditioned brick building is not appealing. Maybe things will cool down after dark and I can go in this evening. Bwah-ah-ah!
(It's scary there in the night...)

Clocks a-Tickin'

Closing in on the end of July. That means the back-to-school nightmares should be starting any time. My father used to say that after the fourth, we needed to practice going to bed early so we'd be ready for school. Being ready as a child and being ready as a teacher are totally different. Even after 20-plus years in this field, I always feel like I've never done this before.

Constant curriculum changes, district demands, and the changing parade of needy students makes every year seem like the first one. I hope to use this blog to record what it's like to do the job so many people think is a walk in the park. After all, "You get the summers off."