Next on the agenda: BLT in-service and staff meetings. Oh, and free breakfast - woo hoo! :)
8.25.2010
Welcome Back Party Bus
Yesterday, a handful of staff from Knollwood, sporting the new Knollwood t-shirt, piled onto a big yellow school bus with boxes of school supplies and headed into the community. While our gracious driver careful navigated the neighborhood roads, a quiet murmur of chatter abounded as teachers dished over summer adventures and shared dreams for the upcoming year. As the bus turned in to the Lakota Homes community, honking its horn, teachers peered out the window, earger to see the faces of students from past years and meet the new faces of this year. It took meer minutes to unload the supplies and get rolling. What a fun way to kick off the school year! It was so nice to chat with former students and their families and meet new families. Can't wait to see our Knollwood students with their new Knollwood t-shirts on the first day of school!
8.23.2010
1 week countdown
School starts 1 week from today! Woo hoo!
Today has been crazy-busy just like the past week. Searching for the best tabletop organizers, labeling new books in the class library, rearranging furniture in hopes of finding that perfect room arrangement, outlining lessons for the first week of school... After several hours of running around the classroom (and school) in a frantic pace, I finally crashed into my cushy desk chair.
The flourescent overhead lights are turned off. The room is illuminated by the soft glow coming from the lamps scattered around the classroom. Soft music is playing from the radio in the meeting area of the classroom. I hope my students enjoy the calm feel of the room that I am enjoying this moment.
Next on the to do list: hang curtains, store empty boxes, and set up new laptops with student links.
Today has been crazy-busy just like the past week. Searching for the best tabletop organizers, labeling new books in the class library, rearranging furniture in hopes of finding that perfect room arrangement, outlining lessons for the first week of school... After several hours of running around the classroom (and school) in a frantic pace, I finally crashed into my cushy desk chair.
The flourescent overhead lights are turned off. The room is illuminated by the soft glow coming from the lamps scattered around the classroom. Soft music is playing from the radio in the meeting area of the classroom. I hope my students enjoy the calm feel of the room that I am enjoying this moment.
Next on the to do list: hang curtains, store empty boxes, and set up new laptops with student links.
8.20.2010
No shoes
Books packed in the trunk. Fragile school decor tucked in the passenger seat, seatbelt and all. Milk jugs tossed about the backseat (follow the blog to find out the importance of milk jugs). Hop in my little speed machine. Sunglasses, check. 90's music, check. Shoes, oops! I was so excited to get to school and turn the tornado-scene into a calm, peaceful learning environment that I forgot to wear shoes. Back into the house. Shoes, check.
During the summer I wear shoes as seldom as possible. Let the feet breathe is my philosophy. Barefoot, I feel a sense of comfort and belonging. It is my hope that my classroom is a place where students feel as though they could take off their shoes and settle right in.
Today my goal is to finish unpacking boxes, assemble class library, create bulletin board pieces for the start of the year, set up lamps and reading nooks, and stash away the empty boxes and leftover pieces.
During the summer I wear shoes as seldom as possible. Let the feet breathe is my philosophy. Barefoot, I feel a sense of comfort and belonging. It is my hope that my classroom is a place where students feel as though they could take off their shoes and settle right in.
Today my goal is to finish unpacking boxes, assemble class library, create bulletin board pieces for the start of the year, set up lamps and reading nooks, and stash away the empty boxes and leftover pieces.
8.18.2010
In the beginning...
So fast the summer has past! Many fun times. Many stressful times. Many work times. Now it is time to reset for another great year in first grade. This is always such an exciting time of year. You know you are a teacher at heart when you get giddy over Sunday ads and spend many shopping trips drooling over the yellow pencils on sale, brightly colored folders neatly lining the shelves, and random new office gadgets.
Yesterday I picked up my classroom keys and joyously marched down to my room. As I burst into my room ready to roll up my sleeves and start moving furniture, I see that the music materials and instruments are still piled high in the front of my room. Bummed that I won't be able to assemble my room, I must say that the custodial staff at Knollwood is awesome. They have been working mighty hard to get the school in tip top shape for the late August arrival of 600 smiling students!
Tuesday and Wednesday turned my classroom into a scene from a twister movie. Boxes spralled around the room, half unpacked. Stacks of books lining the window shelves. Miscellaneous school supplies scattered on the counter. Notes of projects yet to finish dotting my new desk.
Yes, I got a desk this year - a real teacher's desk. It is small and old-fashioned in design. Because my desk is actually facing our main class meeting area and in close proximity, I must make it a priority to keep a clean desk this year. It is quite convenient, however, to have my desk next to the meeting area as I will now have a comfy chair to sit in during morning meeting and read alouds.
It is a goal of mine to have many small reading nooks in our classroom this year. The students love to curl up with a good book where there are few distractions. While the room looks chaotic now, I am loving how it is slowly starting to come together.
Time to work on our class web-site, presentation for First Grade Kick-Off, and eat some leftover steak. Yum!
Yesterday I picked up my classroom keys and joyously marched down to my room. As I burst into my room ready to roll up my sleeves and start moving furniture, I see that the music materials and instruments are still piled high in the front of my room. Bummed that I won't be able to assemble my room, I must say that the custodial staff at Knollwood is awesome. They have been working mighty hard to get the school in tip top shape for the late August arrival of 600 smiling students!
Yes, I got a desk this year - a real teacher's desk. It is small and old-fashioned in design. Because my desk is actually facing our main class meeting area and in close proximity, I must make it a priority to keep a clean desk this year. It is quite convenient, however, to have my desk next to the meeting area as I will now have a comfy chair to sit in during morning meeting and read alouds.
It is a goal of mine to have many small reading nooks in our classroom this year. The students love to curl up with a good book where there are few distractions. While the room looks chaotic now, I am loving how it is slowly starting to come together.
Time to work on our class web-site, presentation for First Grade Kick-Off, and eat some leftover steak. Yum!
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog! Here I will attempt to recount the wonderful joys of teaching first graders and the many adventures we encounter together. This year is shaping up to be an exciting new journey with many fun and educational field trips, projects, and guests. Time to set up the classroom and plan out the first week...only 11 days left.
Mrs. T
Mrs. T
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