One of my colleagues updated her facebook status that on September eve, her eye started twitching again. Another colleague responded that she had started grinding her teeth again... and me, I've stopped sleeping through the night, though to be fair, I can't blame it totally on stress or anxiety because the throbbing pain from one of my wayward wisdom teeth that are slated to be removed could also be responsible.
The teachers have been bustling around at school readying our classrooms. Students arrive one week from today. Imagine one of those cartoon dust clouds, and out of it being flung bulletin board borders, colorful backing paper, and decorative die-cut shapes. If you don't know what those things are you've clearly never been to a teacher store, and depending on your taste for things that are totally adorable! or how jazzed you get if it matches my theme! you're either deprived or fortunate.
I can't say that bulletin board decor is one of my favorite parts of my job (not so for every elementary teacher - for some, it is truly an art.) But I can say that I have developed some speed and skill over the years. The trick is buying fadeless paper so that you don't have to do it again the following year, using a lot of staples and/or so it doesn't fall down mid-year, and picking a color scheme you can look at for 180 days straight without hating. I have embraced classroom decorating this year and am going with a theme of nature, specifically trees. And, in collaboration with Sunny, who has an identical room, and lots of trial and error throughout the last 2 years, I think we have finally discovered the ideal set-up for the classroom!
I'm actually in pretty good shape at the moment, owing partly to the fact that I put in quite a few hours organizing books and closet space at the end of last year. Not having to change rooms or grades is a total lifesaver.
Even though we're not being reimbursed for any expenses this year, I've been saving receipts just in case, and also out of curiosity. So far the tally rounds out to about $300.
But now my classroom is $300 more kickass than it was last year!
Middle school teachers, of which I was one for many years, are not nearly so obsessed with room decor as elementary teachers. (High school teachers staple a current newspaper under a faded title "Current Events" and leave it at that. All year.) On moving to an elementary school as admin, I was both appalled and charmed by the effort - and expense- that went into decor. Once, I had a young, first year teacher decorate her entire room, decide she didn't like it, re-do it and then, three days later, lose her job to low enrollment. It was awful. I always tried to get them to tone it down a little after that, but they took such pride - and some were so competitive about them! - that I had to just let them at it. I love the nature theme. Trees are good people to have around. Have a great start to a great year! You're going to be fabulous!
ReplyDeleteLove, AJ