36 hours and counting...

Well my class is as prepared as I am going to get it before 8:10 am arrives on Monday morning and 14 eager students show up to portable 2 for english and history class! I did the best I could with what I was working with-yes, my air conditioning is broken...yes, the sinks have ants in them...yes, the tile floor is filthy...and yes, the carpet is taped together. BUT, I created an environment that I think shows love, compassion and a place where learning can and will take place.
In the last two weeks, I have been briefed on school policies, some of my students behaviors, phone numbers to call when I need help, lock down procedures, what to do if I see a gun, and how to handle all my belongings to make sure they are still there at the end of the day. But I have also become even more passionate about working at my school with my students. Why? They are resilent and show up to school when most of us would not. They continue coming because they know it is an environment where they are loved but also because they want to learn. Many of them have many other commitments outside of school that prevents them from coming on time or even at all. But, yet they still come. I am excited to put faces to all the names I have been hearing. I can't wait to meet them on Monday morning!

Here's to the achievement of all 31 of my students this year. I have set two BIG Goals for each one of them-
1. Each student will gain 1.5 years in their reading level by the end of the year
2. As a class, we will master 80% of the U.S. history standards set forth by the state.

I am excited and hopeful. As long as they show up, learning will take place.....

:)

Ms. S

Day 1 is coming....

I finished summer school and summer institute. I had 6 weeks inside a classroom co-teaching and also 6 weeks of summer institute where I was taught by a kick-ass master. I walked away excited for the upcoming school year and with a whole "toolkit" to take to my own classroom. I was ready!
Fast forward 2 weeks.....

I am all on my own-no direction from a single individual and I am sitting at my kitchen counter wondering where the hell to begin. I will be teaching 4 subjects starting August 31st-history, science, english and math. I think I will have anywhere from 15-20 students who I cannot wait to meet! But where shall I begin?

Today I made a big trip to Office Depot and spent entirely way too much money on supplies that are totally needed in my classroom. I then proceeded to Barnes and Noble where I bought 15 books as the start to my class library. I am also proud to say I received my first donation of 15 books bringing me to 30.

I have planned out every bulletin board but have no idea what my classroom looks like and have not worked on actually creating those beautiful bulletin boards.

I have a basic idea of what the first week will look like, but have not done ANY lesson plans.

I have no CLUE what my unit plans will look like for math and english depending on the diagnostic results of my students AND the IEPS for them, which I have yet to see. I do know the science and history standards and thus need to start those unit plans for the first semester.

Overwhelmed? YES!
Nervous? YES!
Excited? YES!

All I keep going back to is my students faces at 8:10 am on August 31st when they walk into my classroom...what will they be thinking in the first 2 minutes where I will be judged and it will be hard to change those 1st opinions?

Here's to my 1st year teaching...and every single day that I have the opportunity and privilege to teach the leaders of tomorrow. I want them to change the world. We NEED them to change the world, but I hope they change me. I hope they teach me.

I can't wait to get started!