Thursday, August 25, 2011
First week
Well the first week with students is almost done! I cant believe it. I am completely exhausted. It is totally crazy how every day is totally different. Yesterday was a hard day with the kids because they started feeling a little more comfortable with things, so they were way too chatty. Today...it was great. They listened...paid attention...and didnt need to be told to be quiet...too much. :) Im really looking forward to next week because I am going to start enforcing our discipline procedure more seriously. There is already a list of kids I can come up with in my head who are going to be serving detentions because they dont get parent signatures on things, or they cant STOP TALKING! Ugh KIDS!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Final update
Alright well I spent a good four days up at school this past week getting as much ready as I could. We have been given the class lists so I have started preparing seating charts and discipline forms. I am sure once meetings start next week, I will be reminded of things I have currently forgot to do. We will see. Here are two final pictures. I have moved some things around but mainly just added a bit more to the walls.
Hopefully everything on the walls have remained there...as Im sure the heat will test the stickiness of my tape!
MB
Hopefully everything on the walls have remained there...as Im sure the heat will test the stickiness of my tape!
MB
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Classroom Prep cont
After 3 days, the classroom is really coming together! After the first day, I walked through the other classrooms on my floor to see what sorts of decorations or ideas or could "steal." I noticed that both of the other classrooms had the school theme on their front wall. Another room also had a place on the back wall where the teacher hung signs to write the daily homework assignments. After this, I decided to come home and put my Cricut to use! As shown in my previous post, I made these various signs to hang around the room. In the pictures below, you can see where the signs have been placed!
Back of the room with the homework signs!
Front of the room!
Another shot of the back of the room by my desk.
I am heading to a school supply store this morning to get some last minute items, and then I will spend a few more hours up at school finishing things up! Finally...Ill take a much needed day off tomorrow!
Last installment of pics to come!
MB
Back of the room with the homework signs!
Front of the room!
Another shot of the back of the room by my desk.
I am heading to a school supply store this morning to get some last minute items, and then I will spend a few more hours up at school finishing things up! Finally...Ill take a much needed day off tomorrow!
Last installment of pics to come!
MB
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Classroom Prep
Today was day #2 up in the classroom. Things are really starting to come together. After the first day I took a few of these pictures.
This first picture shows the new desk arrangement!! The initial setup of the desks made the room look so small and did not encourage group discussion and interaction.
This is just a different view of the classroom. As you will notice, the cork boards are still bare but after setting up the desks, I cleaned through my desk and threw out a bunch of junk from the previous teacher, and I completely emptied a book shelf and moved it back by my desk as I needed that extra storage. I also cleaned out the closet to make space for those books that I didnt want to give away, but I also didnt have room for them on the current book shelves.
These last two pictures are some signs I made this evening. I will take them to get laminated tomorrow and then hang them up! The first picture of signs represents the school theme for the year and the second picture contains the signs I have made for homework...so the students always know where to look when they have a question about homework.
My friend Angie came up to school today to help me put up bulletin boards. We got ALL of the cork covered and got some trimmers up. I really hope to finish all of this decorating by tomorrow...or at least the end of this week. It is NOT my thing!
More pictures to come!
MB
This first picture shows the new desk arrangement!! The initial setup of the desks made the room look so small and did not encourage group discussion and interaction.
This is just a different view of the classroom. As you will notice, the cork boards are still bare but after setting up the desks, I cleaned through my desk and threw out a bunch of junk from the previous teacher, and I completely emptied a book shelf and moved it back by my desk as I needed that extra storage. I also cleaned out the closet to make space for those books that I didnt want to give away, but I also didnt have room for them on the current book shelves.
These last two pictures are some signs I made this evening. I will take them to get laminated tomorrow and then hang them up! The first picture of signs represents the school theme for the year and the second picture contains the signs I have made for homework...so the students always know where to look when they have a question about homework.
My friend Angie came up to school today to help me put up bulletin boards. We got ALL of the cork covered and got some trimmers up. I really hope to finish all of this decorating by tomorrow...or at least the end of this week. It is NOT my thing!
More pictures to come!
MB
Sunday, August 7, 2011
EMINEM
Lets refer back to this previous blog post. Number 5 on the list was EMINEM!!! I was telling Bruce the other day that Eminem was one of those artists I thought I would never see in concert. He hadnt been on tour in a really long time, and I never thought he would come to KC. I was ok with that. I had accepted that. Good thing he surprised me and signed on to be the main act for the First Annual Kanrocksas music festival out at the KS Speedway. Bruce and I bought tickets as soon as we heard he was on the list!
This is a shot of the main stage. This is where Eminem would be performing later on in the evening. Bruce and I got to the speedway around 330p, so we had about 7.5 hours to kill before Eminem.
Here is a shot of us before we head down to the infield.
Here he is!!! He started off wearing that hoodie but lets be honest...Kansas is HOT...so it didnt last long. It was such a blast to be right in the middle of the crowd but I had to work my way to the outside so I could get a decent shot!
What a great concert!!!
MB
This is a shot of the main stage. This is where Eminem would be performing later on in the evening. Bruce and I got to the speedway around 330p, so we had about 7.5 hours to kill before Eminem.
Here is a shot of us before we head down to the infield.
Here he is!!! He started off wearing that hoodie but lets be honest...Kansas is HOT...so it didnt last long. It was such a blast to be right in the middle of the crowd but I had to work my way to the outside so I could get a decent shot!
What a great concert!!!
MB
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Getting ready
Well I have ONE more week left at Proteon. It has been such a great first job out of school, but I am beyond excited to start this new chapter in my life.
I have been up to the school a few times to look through my room and see what kinds of supplies I will be working with this school year. I initially thought I was coming into a classroom with limited supplies but thanks to the help of the other middle school teachers, I have realized there is a whole closet dedicated to science supplies!! Woot! Prior to realizing there was a science closet, I had asked Proteon if they would be interested in donating some science supplies to the school. They agreed, and I began to collect boxes of items. After about getting 6 boxes together, I made a trip to school this morning to drop it all off. I was so excited to see my classroom again! Finally after being completely emptied out for floor buffering, all of my stuff was back in its place, and there were even NEW desks! Below are some pictures of the room. I havent started decorating or anything. Those pictures will be posted within the next month!
Here is a picture of the front of the school.
Room 103!!! Here she is!
Here is a view from the door. And I have a good teacher podium and stool!My desk is in the back by the black filing cabinet.
The view of the front of the classroom from my desk.
These two pictures below are of the materials in the science closet that is just down the hall from my room.
Over the next few weeks I will be spending a lot of time up at the school to get things organized and set up. I will post pictures of the finished product around the beginning of the school year!
MB
I have been up to the school a few times to look through my room and see what kinds of supplies I will be working with this school year. I initially thought I was coming into a classroom with limited supplies but thanks to the help of the other middle school teachers, I have realized there is a whole closet dedicated to science supplies!! Woot! Prior to realizing there was a science closet, I had asked Proteon if they would be interested in donating some science supplies to the school. They agreed, and I began to collect boxes of items. After about getting 6 boxes together, I made a trip to school this morning to drop it all off. I was so excited to see my classroom again! Finally after being completely emptied out for floor buffering, all of my stuff was back in its place, and there were even NEW desks! Below are some pictures of the room. I havent started decorating or anything. Those pictures will be posted within the next month!
These two pictures below are of the materials in the science closet that is just down the hall from my room.
Over the next few weeks I will be spending a lot of time up at the school to get things organized and set up. I will post pictures of the finished product around the beginning of the school year!
MB
Friday, July 1, 2011
Another month
Well once again, I make one post in the month of June and neglect the blog the rest of the time. Here we are in July. Seriously?! JULY?! Ugh. Where has this year gone?!
A little update with my teaching stuff. Ever since I "landed" this job, I have been wondering how I would start off the year. Sure in grad classes they tell you how to plan lessons and how to manage a classroom...but they don't actually tell you how to start off the year. The only thing I know about starting a new year is "Be very tough the first two weeks...otherwise, you will be trying to control the classroom the rest of the year." Alright, check. Be tough. I'm not worried about these kids liking me. Some will...some won't. So I guess I'll just be tough and hope for the best!
I've been meeting with my old 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Gruss. We have only met twice but I am already more relaxed and ready for this school year to start. She has given me so many science labs to use throughout the whole year. If I wanted to, I could literally sit down tonight and plan my entire school year...labs and all. Naturally, you have to be flexible so I will try to plan a few weeks out...and see how things go. Mrs. Gruss and I haven't even started talking about teaching math. I enjoy math, and I like to think I am good at it...but I am still a little nervous. Sure the science is easy...it's like second nature...but the math...hum, will be more of a challenge.
Now that it is the month of July, I can FINALLY meet with my principal again and get keys to the building and my classroom. With that, I can start planning my classroom layout, start hanging pictures AND get my hands on the textbooks. Thats right...I haven't even seen my textbooks but I am still confident I could plan out the whole year with what Mrs. Gruss has given me. Talk about an awesome lady!
Bruce and I are packing up the dogs and heading to Salina for the weekend. It will be a nice little vacation before my real work begins! I hope to meet with my principal next week...but I'll keep you posted! And just because I hate posting without a picture...here is a shot of me and Bruce at the Sporting KC game on June 9th. Opening night! They tied...but it was a GREAT game and awesome environment!
MB
A little update with my teaching stuff. Ever since I "landed" this job, I have been wondering how I would start off the year. Sure in grad classes they tell you how to plan lessons and how to manage a classroom...but they don't actually tell you how to start off the year. The only thing I know about starting a new year is "Be very tough the first two weeks...otherwise, you will be trying to control the classroom the rest of the year." Alright, check. Be tough. I'm not worried about these kids liking me. Some will...some won't. So I guess I'll just be tough and hope for the best!
I've been meeting with my old 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Gruss. We have only met twice but I am already more relaxed and ready for this school year to start. She has given me so many science labs to use throughout the whole year. If I wanted to, I could literally sit down tonight and plan my entire school year...labs and all. Naturally, you have to be flexible so I will try to plan a few weeks out...and see how things go. Mrs. Gruss and I haven't even started talking about teaching math. I enjoy math, and I like to think I am good at it...but I am still a little nervous. Sure the science is easy...it's like second nature...but the math...hum, will be more of a challenge.
Now that it is the month of July, I can FINALLY meet with my principal again and get keys to the building and my classroom. With that, I can start planning my classroom layout, start hanging pictures AND get my hands on the textbooks. Thats right...I haven't even seen my textbooks but I am still confident I could plan out the whole year with what Mrs. Gruss has given me. Talk about an awesome lady!
Bruce and I are packing up the dogs and heading to Salina for the weekend. It will be a nice little vacation before my real work begins! I hope to meet with my principal next week...but I'll keep you posted! And just because I hate posting without a picture...here is a shot of me and Bruce at the Sporting KC game on June 9th. Opening night! They tied...but it was a GREAT game and awesome environment!
MB
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