moving on up....

For the past 2 weeks I have been anxiously awaiting word on a potential job change. Yesterday I got that word and it was YES! So after 5 years in my classroom, I am packing it all up to begin my new path as an ITS-- instructional technology specialist. I'm excited about the change in titles, and the new responsibilities that await me. Combining a love for educational strategies and lesson planning with a passion for technology has me truly ecstatic about the next school year. I'm always up for a challenge, and will admit that there will be a huge learning curve for me where the hardware aspect is concerned. But the campus I'll be placed at has a true desire to incorporate technology and that's what I'm sure will get me through all the times I want to pull out my hair.

For the first time in 8 years, I won't be walking into a classroom of my own. I won't have 123 names to learn and parents to contact. I won't have grades to post *shouts of joy* or attendance to track. And while there are parts of teaching I'll miss, I know that the parts I love will still be available to me-- creating engaging lessons, problem solving, creativity--and that will allow me to grow in my new position.

First order of business is packing away 5 years of memorabilia/materials/ supplies. It's a total mess and more than my organizational skills can handle. The next step will be turning my storage closet/book room of an office into a place that I can actually function in.

I'll post pictures next week and see what suggestions the blog-o-sphere has. My first training to teach? That would be beginner blogging :)

Six Word Saturday

I think I can do it.

What a difference a week makes! Bulletin boards are up and decorated, first week papers have been typed and sent to copy shop, class blog is up and running, literature books are neatly stacked. Now if only it could stay this tidy for the next 36 weeks :)

Inferno

I'm pretty sure Open House is somewhere near Dante's 6th circle of hell. In 8 minutes I spewed forth my course syllabus, contact information and a tutorial on how to use my teacherweb. I met 72 parents, fielded 176 questions, fake smiled 248 times, drank 3 coke zeros and tripped over the projector cables once. There are only a few things that can begin to cut through the fuzzy numbness caused by that kind of assault.

1.

2.

3.

(Thanks Ashley! I can't wait to use it!)

No Monday for me

Alright Alright. Maybe I should have taken it a little easier this weekend. Maybe I should have had that extra cup of airborne. Whatever the case, I took my first sick day of the school year today. Technically, I taught my first period and then went home, as I had NADA in the way of sub plans so early in the year.

This sinus/allergy/asthma stuff usually hits me in October, but apparently this group of students has super-germs or my immune system was more stressed than I was. It doesn't bode well for me. I'm taking all the precautions, including a stop at Jamba Juice for an extra shot of

I didn't even attempt to be productive. No folders to grade. No lesson plans. I haven't even checked my school e-mail. I just took my "knock-it-out" cough syrup and was down for the count. The cat is thrilled to have a nap buddy and has not left my side.

I think this might possibly be a new record for me. 8 days into the academic calendar and I'm already dipping into the sick leave. I can only imagine what October will bring...

Drawbacks

Teaching Pros:

• Weekends and all major holidays off


• 2 week Christmas vacation


• 14 weeks of summer vacation


• sending the "problem" kids home to their parents at 3:30 every afternoon


• School Supplies


• Wearing Jeans every Friday

Teaching Cons:

• Catching every single bug/germ/virus that enters your room because you ran out of the antibacterial hand stuff.

I'm a STAR...

I love me some free classroom supplies, so when I learned Office Depot was hosting their STAR Teacher breakfast and sale today, I actually set my alarm on a Saturday. At 9:30 I signed in, received my door prize ticket and a goody bag, and hit the breakfast table. Yummy breakfast tacos and doughnuts! They pulled tickets every 7 minutes for a fun mystery goody box containing anything from gift certificates to dry erase boards to custom notepads. Lots of fun stuff that I just can't bring myself to buy for my room (we don't have a reimbursement program, so I have to be very careful how much I spend at the start of each year). I waited for nearly 2 hours for my number to be called. They changed the breakfast buffet to pizza and sandwiches and still I waited. Finally, the last prize remained on the table. I meandered back up to the front, one of the last teachers still there.

I think the manager felt sorry for me when she saw I was still hanging around and asked my ticket number. She looked at the sequence and then she just gave me the box :) I didn't even care what was in it, I was so happy to have free stuff for my room!

Speaking of my room, it still needs lots of work. I had to change rooms this year after 3 years in my old one, so it's a little daunting to set it all up again. I do my timeline first to add color and make me feel I've accomplished something... pay no attention to those stacks of books I still need to sort through.

I also put my bulletin boards together and set up my desk. My Mark Saccomanno bobblehead gets a special place, along with a favorite wedding picture and my Yoda quote (Do or Do not, there is no try).I still have a week before the kiddoes come to me for book learnin. Maybe I'll find my inspiration this week to finish the decorating/organizing. If not, I'll just have to dazzle them with my free stuff!

As I watch the Olympics, here's a really cool photo from the minor league baseball game we went to Saturday night. As the players left the field after the game, the jumbotron switched to the Men's 4x100 medley. As everyone in the stands yelled and cheered on the swimmers, 3 of the visiting players wandered out to center field to watch. Go USA!