My Classroom!!

Today I finally got to see my classroom! It is so nice to know what it looks like and where all (well at least some...) of my stuff will go! I can't wait until it is all cutsied up.

I met with my mentor teacher this morning. JP is the other third grade teacher at my school. He's very nice and super helpful, but it was tough because I didn't really even know where to start or what questions to ask. He helped me arrange my students' desks into tables and turn my teacher desk around (why the previous teacher had the her desk facing a wall I'm not sure...)

Then we went over some curriculum stuff and the programs that they teach. This part was pretty stressful and overwhelming, but I've decided to take one teacher's manual home a night and just get familiar with them. Tonight was our reading book. I've already taught their math program, which is nice. It's one subject area I won't have to stress over, at least for the first semester, since I've already taught all of those lessons in student teaching.

Finally, he helped me plan out my supply order. No one ordered any supplies for my room yet, so I got to do that today. It sounded like a lot of money, but it was tough just spending that!

I stopped home for lunch and went back to school to meet with my principal. She said to just work in my room and she's stop in to talk. I rearranged a lot of the stuff that was in the room, putting it where I wanted it. This included lugging six class sets of textbooks from one side of the room to the other. After about three of the sets, I decided to put the books on a chair and drag the chair across the room. It saved many trips and my arms! I cleaned out the supply closet and hung up some bulletin board boarders. Fun times :) It is so nice to think that this is MY classroom. I'm not sharing or borrowing, this is mine and I can arrange it however I want!

Just as I was getting ready to leave, the principal popped in and asked how it was going. She told me to go home and think about something else. So I came home, watched an episode of Everwood and did lots of school stuff while I watched the Tigers. But I did give myself an hour to read and didn't do anything during dinner :)

Today I was a bit homesick and upset, most of which I attribute to how overwhelmed I was. I got to talk to Momma and Lil Sis and just keeping busy and being productive cheered me up!

I'm back to school in the morning for a day of working in my room.