Meet the Teacher 2.0

Well, after working approximately 3, 455 hours in the last two weeks on my new second grade classroom, I am proud to announce that it is ready to open for business on Monday.

I am now inside the school (as opposed to being on the Back 40 in a portable classroom, where I've spent the last four years.) My front windows face the butterfly garden, my back windows face our classroom garden. And I feel compelled to quote Cicero: 'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." (Though the instructional planning guides would like to add math, social studies and science to that list for classroom completion...)

Welcome! What is not to love about all these floor to ceiling windows that cover two sides of my room? (The room I came from had four small windows with security screens that kept the room dark, dark, dark.)

Our room has separate boy and girl bathrooms. My life with second graders just got so much easier.

This will be our writing and word work center. (I promise: this room is twice the size of the one we had last year!)
This is part of our library. I'm adding more and more chapter books for my 19 seven-year old best friends. (Look carefully at the wall on the right: I PAINTED the bulletin boards Bumblebee Blue. They are literally 60 years old, and I am tired of putting up and changing paper all the time as a teacher. The teacher next door had painted hers and told me that things stay up better, and she was right. One million staple holes fused by blue paint. Why didn't I think of that YEARS ago?)
More painted bulletin boards above the computer station. And see that light shining down from heaven on the right side of the photograph? I have a teacher's desk for the first time in five years! There was not room for one in the portable, so I've set up my own little Happy Kingdom in that corner of the room.

Got the room ready just in time for Friday's "Meet the Teacher". Since I'm looping with this class and already know the parents/students (and  almost expect to be invited to family reunions this year...), I wasn't sure how many would come. Well? Almost everyone.

School starts Monday. I'm tired, but I have Sunday to rest. And catch Broadway Across America's "Jersey Boys" with fellow teacher Jennifer.

Coming soon to a school near you: a 175 day journey through a Magical Year.