For the 33rd year, I am preparing for the first week of school. You might think it would be automatic for me, but every year I walk into my room, stacked up with boxes and furniture and wonder if I will ever be able to get everything put up and ready in time for the first day. (I have one fellow teacher from down the hall that seems to delight in seeing my 'mess' and she shakes her head and laughs as she leaves.) But somehow, I always seem to make my deadline.
You might recognize by now, that I am not one of those organized people that maps out every move. My motto is 'attack the most important task and the rest will fall in place'. Its not necessarily a motto that always works, but its gotten me this far!
After 2 days of working in my room, it is finally beginning to look like a classroom again. Bulletin boards are up and desks are in place (although I'm still one short for my roster) and center areas are defined. The next step is getting the activities and play equipment out and organized. The biggest challenge for me each year is having a place to put all of the materials we use each day so my room doesn't look like a toy tornado just passed through. I've tried baggies, and boxes, and tubs, but have yet to find the perfect solution. I'm guessing it has something to do with the abundance of materials I my room and my reluctance to throw anything away. I guess I've been through the 'lean years' when our budgets were minimal (like this year) and I try to make use of whatever is available. Its amazing , but in this high tech world that kids grow up in, sometimes a simple game or toy can fascinate them. I've seen some amazing architecture using just some wooden blocks and cardboard tubes, while 'marble works' sits untouched on the shelf.
I will admit that the technology has certainly made some parts of my preparation easier. Typing notes on the computer, or simply editing things from last year, is so much easier than typing on mimeo paper and having to start over if you made a mistake. Before color printers, we used markers and crayons to add color to our artwork. And does anyone remember projecting images onto a large piece of oaktag to make bulletin board decorations? Those projectors were gigantic and it never failed the bulb would burn out before you finished. Those are days I don't miss.
Back to school tomorrow to get down to the 'nitty gritty' and get the rest of the room organized. Perhaps my teacher friend will stop in again to gauge my progress and give me a thumbs up. Or maybe this year I will finally find the magic formula for storing everything in an orderly fashion. (If I do, you'll be the first to know!) Most importanly, I will do what it takes to make a safe and enjoyable space for the children that will be 'my class'. Because the children are ultimately why I do what I do. It's what gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me working when others have headed for home. Its the children that keep me young and make me thankful for being a teacher.
