Set Up Week Begins

When I got to school today, about 10:00am, the place was the busiest it has been so far this month. Most of the office staff was there, and the principal was greeting a new family, the children of which were decked out in full school uniforms. I saw at least six other teachers working to put their rooms in order, and ran into two parents I know. It is a busy time, which can make it harder to be productive. I was surprised to find I was eating my lunch at 1:45, and disappointed in the progress I was able to make before I left. Tomorrow I plan to go in early, on my normal school year schedule, which should give me an hour or two before the building gets busy to focus on working rather than chatting.

Today was mostly about getting lots of little things done. I unpacked bins that held my prayer table and some teacher desk items, located my step stool that had gone missing (it was in the faculty room), laminated a couple of small posters that were too big for my home laminator, started a bulletin board display for the school theme, unpacked new math materials and added the student books to their cubbies, set up my prayer table, and set out the new book report booklets. I might have done a few other things besides staring at the mess and willing it to take care of itself, but maybe not.



Book report display

The start of a bulletin board

 

Prayer Table complete with my Machu Picchu Rock

Today was also about conversations with co-workers, both about school and chit chat to catch up with people I haven't seen in several weeks. I found out that the sixth grade teachers are swapping who is teaching science and social studies, and offered up some resources I have from the years I spent teaching ancient civilizations to Austin, who will be taking over the job. I talked with Kate about several different things, but notably about our mid-October trip to Camp Seymour and the process of seeking out parent volunteers and communicating necessary information to all parents.

And I talked to the science teacher about the worm bin my students created last year. Specifically I wanted to know whether or not she thought the worms were alive in there after all the heat we had last week (with no water/food added since June). Paula said since it still smelled earthy, rather than moldy, the environment was probably still healthy, and helped me add water, more worms from the school wide worm bin, and some greenery to help them reestablish their plastic habitat.



Revitalizing the worm bin

Again I have the sense that as I check things off of my to do list, more items are being added to the bottom. I hope the rate of added items slows enough this week that I can begin to feel like I'm actually making progress toward being ready for students on September 1!



Time to take out the recycling!

The Last Week of Summer

Technically I still have one more week before the teacher back to school meetings begin, but since I am planning to spend part of every day this week in my room getting the space ready so I don't have to stick around after the meetings beyond some finishing touches, I considered last week the last real week of my summer vacation.

I spent most of last week camping with my family and a long time friend of my boys. It was relaxing and the perfect way for me to unplug and recharge before the start of the school year. While I was away, my school secretary emailed me the names and addresses of all the incoming fifth graders so my partner teacher and I could send out welcome postcards. She and I planned to have them out in Saturday's mail. So when I got home on Thursday night and discovered I had left my half of the postcards at school, I knew that meant I had to make a trip into my classroom on Friday.

Since I was going in anyway, I took some Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and used one to scrub six shelves in the built in bookcase in my room and the counter above them. I applied as much elbow grease as I could, spending close to an hour on just six shelves. I did watch a layer of grime come off, but I was still unable to get them to really look clean. It was mildly disappointing, but not all that surprising. I reiterate that white is not a good color for classroom furniture.



The water after 2 shelves (note the spots that would not "erase")

The only other thing I did at school last week was to label my paper bags for my fifth grade survival kits and put the items I have ready for them near them on a desk in my classroom. The survival kits are generally my last finishing touch before school actually begins.

Some items still need to be created and purchased for these

I took my postcards, metallic permanent markers, and the first set of Scholastic book order forms for the year home to work with while I did camping laundry. I really only meant to address the postcards and put names on the little metal buckets for the school's theme on Friday afternoon. I did both of those, but while scrolling through my Facebook I came across a Momastery post that I wanted to print and modify for use in my classroom next year.



That's a lot of buckets to fill!

Aren't we cute?

And then another post caught my eye, this time for an editable classroom procedure booklet from Teachers Pay Teachers. I have an interesting relationship with Teachers Pay Teachers in that I almost never spend money on the site. I have downloaded several freebies, since every seller is required to have at least one free item.  Mostly I look at the previews of items for sale and then decide to either do without or make my own version rather than spend money. Maybe that's why my own Teacher's Pay Teachers products are so few and far between. Now that I get so many ideas from other sellers I don't feel right adding my latest creations which are based on the ideas of others.

The sense that I could make my own version of whatever I needed has kept me from using a classroom procedure booklet in past years. I love the idea, but have never taken the time to make my own. But I took the plunge and spent the five bucks to buy Teaching in Room 6's version to edit it and make it my own... which then took the rest of Friday evening and all day Saturday. But the time spent was well worth it. I am very excited to go into this school year with procedures clearly defined and on paper for students to refer back to, and to even pull out and show parents should the need arise. I had at three parents tell me last year along that their child did not know when and where to turn in assignments, even though there is a standard procedure I had taught and followed for months before any of these conversations. If such conversations happen going forward, I can have the student find the correct section in the classroom procedure manual and read it to his or her parents!

Checking my school supply list, emailing and texting my partner teacher, and even sending one email to my principal later, I have a draft that might be ready to print, staple, and hand out to students on the first day of school. But I think I'll wait just in case the urge to continue editing strikes me again soon.

The first printed copy

There will either be lots or no more posts from me this coming week, as I work to set up my classroom space while keeping things running smoothly on the home front. My greatest fear in starting this blog is that I wont' find the time to write for it once school begins. We will soon find out whether or not my fear is valid.

Back to School Prep

(continued)

Since I couldn't decide what number to put after my previous post, I decided to stop worrying about it. I've been working on getting ready for the first day of school since August 1. Most days I do at least a little something, but I took a nice break from all things related to work when my cousin was visiting from Dallas with his family, and I'll take another break next week when I go camping with my family.

I went into my classroom yesterday, and made excellent use of the new bookshelves Kate gave me. I sorted my books into fiction and nonfiction, and hope that the two separate shelves will help them stay that way. I further sorted the nonfiction books into humanities and STEM topics, but I'm pretty sure it will be a loosing battle to keep them separated out as students begin using them.

My new book corner



The pencil gray smudges didn't photograph well

I had intended to work on setting up the new book report forms (the discs are already falling out, but I'll try not to worry about that just yet) however the cleared shelf space is dingy and smudged. I need to attempt to clean it with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser before setting up a display. I have seen the Magic Erasers work magic on graying classroom furniture, so I have high hopes... But if I were to design my own classroom, I would never, ever want white shelving or counters.

I also spent time organizing the cupboards and made a start at clearing the counter. I was able to set up my science closet and the student cubbies. I'm setting up for 24 students, though the last I heard there were only 39 fifth graders with completed registration forms and fees paid. My principal assures me he knows of 44 families intending to send their fifth graders to our school, and that he expects that number to grow to 48. So I'm prepping for the highest number given to me so far. I've found it's far easier to scale back to your actual class size than scale up on the first day. There's nothing worse than having a student show up and not having a place for him or her to sit or a set of textbooks ready to hand out.

24 cubbies with one set of books each

The science closet

Today I worked on getting materials ready for the school theme, which is "Let the Water Renew Us." I have been doing a version of the bucket filling activity for several years now. I started with a candle theme before I worked at a school that articulated a theme every year. As luck would have it, the first theme at my new school was "Be a Light For Others." So I kept the candle theme where students wrote compliments on paper candles to put into paper candle holders for their classmates. Last year the theme was "Come to the Table," and I made a little placemat for each of my students and cut out fruit for the compliments. This is the first year I've actually used buckets in my theme, and may move to a table top design rather than a bulletin board. The buckets are light enough, but upon opening the package I discovered that the handles fall out very easily. I still think they will do their job nicely, and can't wait to have a class list so I can write student names on the buckets. I'm thinking I'll bill the compliments written on water droplets as "drops of kindness."

Paper rain drops

Buckets and Signage

I keep crossing items off my list, but unfortunately I keep thinking of more things to add to it. I've still got quite a few things to do before my classroom will be ready for my students. Thankfully I still have almost three weeks to get there!

Some of the remaining clutter



Back to School Preparation

(part 1)

Or is it part 2? Or potentially part 4? I have now spent at least four hours each day this week on back to school prep. Yes, Monday was mostly about catching up with my principal, but it was also about wrapping my head around the jobs that need to be done. On Tuesday I found some IB "posters" (you know, Word flyers) for display and printed and laminated them. Well, not so much some, as many. I printed and laminated two sets of the learner profile attributes, and one set each of the key concepts and attitudes. Just poking around online took quite a bit of time, but using the little hot laminator I got with Scholastic bonus points several years ago is a very slow process, and required a run to Staples to buy more plastic pouches. I also created a welcome back to school post card I hope I will be able to mail to the incoming fifth graders before school starts.

My favorite IB online find from Tuesday

On Wednesday my new partner teacher, Kate, told me she was going to be in her room from about 10-2, so I went in again - this time with cleaning rags at the ready. I cleaned every flat surface that is not a counter or inside a cubby, cupboard, or shelf. I moved furniture and think I am ready to check two items off of my initial list from my last post. Kate even gave me two bookshelves out of her classroom, so I ended up rearranging one more time toward the end of the four hours I was actually in my room yesterday. I also printed out the postcards I created on Tuesday, and Kate and I signed them, each taking half home for if/when we get a list of addresses for the incoming fifth graders.

What was accomplished

What has yet to be accomplished

When I got home on Wednesday, I pulled up some files I created in summers past, and did some printing and laminating, with cutting thrown in for good measure. I made states and capitals bookmarks and math reference sheets for my homeroom kiddos. I prefer to use the small at home laminator for these because it is a thicker lamination than the bigger (much faster) machine at school. I emailed the files to Kate, because there is a limit to how much time I can preside over a hot laminator in 80 degree weather without AC, and because pouches for the little machine are expensive.

Wednesday's and Thursday's at home accomplishments

Today I stayed away from my classroom, but did make another run to Staples. I think that that's the third one for my classroom so far this summer. (Dang - eventually I need to make a trip there for my own kids rather than my students.) I am planning to give over my book report bulletin board space to IB this year, so I came up with another way to display the short book reviews I have my students create. The theme is "A Good Book is a Treasure" and I have had my students fill in one form a month telling their classmates why they should or should not read a particular book. I found myself brainstorming ways to do the same thing, but without the bulletin board space, as I was trying to sleep last night. I settled on a solution this morning, which had me out the door early to pick up the necessary supplies at Staples. I think I only worked on the book review solution today, but since it involved an Internet search (for the cheapest prices), a trip to Staples, creating a new Word document, printing, cutting, gluing, and disc assembly (see photo), I'm confident it was at least four hours of today's time. And I meant to write today. Not that blogging isn't writing, but it's not the writing I had planned for today. Darn. There's always tomorrow...

New individual booklet format

Bulletin Board format from the past



Back to the Classroom

I went to my classroom today. My main purpose was to turn in my receipts from the Austin trip, but I knew I also needed to start wrapping my head around what actually needs to be done, that must be done at school, before school starts.

After bringing the bags of my first Staples purchases of the summer into my classroom, I dug through my IB materials from the Austin trip and walked into my principal's office with them in hand. It was great to sit and chat with him about the workshop in Austin, my impressions of my new co-workers, and the year ahead. It was worth the time and the drive in to just sit and debrief with him today.

After that, I skirted back around the VBS groups in the upstairs hallway and past the barriers put up to dissuade these groups from venturing down the hall to take stock of my classroom. The walls were painted last month (including the inside of the closet walls), and then the floors were cleaned. This means my room is even more disarray than usual, with everything taken out of the closets and off the counters by me for the painters, but put back by others for the floor cleaners. I have a huge job to unload shelves and put everything away where it will be easily accessible by me and the students come the first day of school. Not to mention the job of cleaning the accumulated grime off of the chairs, desks, shelves, cupboards, and counters. I made a list:

• Physical room arrangement
• Counter clearing
• Shelf/cubby clearing
• Shelf/counter cleaning
• Desk/chair cleaning
• Bulletin boards inside classroom
• Bulletin boards outside classroom
• Cubby set up
• Nametags on desks
• Welcome bags

I didn't bring my bag of rags with me, and wasn't really dressed for hard core cleaning, so I put the desks in table groups, and made my list. I still have two long tables to position before I can cross even the first item off of my list. But I shouldn't complain. I can go into my building whenever it's convenient for me this summer. I know from my colleagues in public school that this is a luxury not to be overlooked or taken lightly. I have heard stories of teachers being given mere hours in their rooms to prep for the first day of school, as they are denied access to the building unless their administrator is present. As a career Catholic school teacher, who has always been able to spend as much time in August setting up as I want, and as the wife of someone in the business world with a downtown office where we stop to use the restroom and get pain relievers or sodas/coffee when we are downtown, I don't understand a system that doesn't allow professionals free access to their workspace. But I digress.

So I didn't accomplish much today. I keep telling myself it's August 1, and I have literally all month to prepare. But I'm fairly certain I'll be back soon to do some of the scrubbing and other work required to get the space ready for the students on day one. I also need to sit down tomorrow and make a list of the other things that need to be done, but can be done at home. I sense that is a longer list, so I should get started while I still have plenty of time.

Keep Austin Weird!

One of the perks about working for my current principal is that he is very interested in obtaining professional development for his staff, and doesn't balk at travel. I just got back from a trip to Austin, Texas to attend a regional International Baccalaureate workshop. My school will be a candidate school for the IB program this year, which requires the entire staff to attend at least one "category one" training. There are local workshops, but none this summer, and traveling with co-workers allows for greater processing of the material presented and for closer knit relationships to form. I have to say, it feels amazing to work for a principal who treats us like other professionals who regularly travel to attend conferences, classes, and workshops aimed at making them better at what they do.  

I attended this workshop with two of my three new co-workers, and we all knew someone in the Austin area. As a result, we didn't have to worry about transportation to and from the airport or what to do in the evenings or on the first day of the workshop, which didn't begin until 4:00pm.

Diana and I in the hotel lobby

When Kate, my new partner teacher, and I arrived, my mom's cousin, Diana, picked us up from the airport, and we went to dinner with her. In talking about the amount of unscheduled time we had the following day, Kate and I decided we needed to go shopping for authentic cowboy boots. Diana was excited at the idea and volunteered to pick us up and take us shopping and do a little local sightseeing. That's how we ended up at Cavender's Boot City before they opened on Sunday morning. I ended up buying three pairs of boots, but luckily two weren't in stock in my size, and are being shipped to my house free of charge. Kate bought two pairs of boots, and in the mix we each ended up with a matching pair of red ankle boots. I can't wait until mine arrive!


Some of the many shelves in Cavender's

Kate & I next to Roundrock's namesake

The hotel was beautiful, and we felt very lucky to be staying there even though we had to ride school buses on a half hour commute to the workshop's location at Roundrock High School, a campus so big it feels like a small college. No kidding, there is an actual food court in their cafeteria, but it was dark and behind locked gates while we were there so the photos I took aren't worth posting.

Outdoor deck off the hotel bar



Kate and I were in the same workshop, Making the PYP Happen in the Classroom. PYP stands for Primary Years Programme, and is the 3 to 12 year old curriculum framework in the IB system. Our newly hired PYP coordinator, Meaghan, whose job will be to ensure our pre-K through fifth grade curricula follow the IB requirements, and our teachers have support in implementing the program as well as regular professional development opportunities, attended as well, but she was in a different workshop for coordinators. Kate and I had our heads stuffed full of IB acronyms and lists of lists that we will be required to weave into our teaching. This was my second category one workshop, so I was spared feeling utterly overwhelmed on the first day of class this time around. At the end of the workshop Meaghan told us that her workshop had advised against sending teachers to the particular workshop Kate and I were in until after they had taught a year in an IB classroom. Oops. But I think Kate and I weathered through and have lots of amazing ideas for how to go about beginning to implement this framework into our classrooms.  We are already making plans for the next classes we want to take at future workshops, and have told Meaghan that while we know other people on staff need to attend training, if she ever needs to fill up slots for workshops to please invite us to attend!

Although there's a lot to think about when planning to bring an international mindset and a focus on action and inquiry into my classroom, I think I'm ready to begin printing, cutting, laminating, and cutting for the new wall displays of IB attributes, attitudes, and key concepts, skills, and themes (see what I mean by lists of lists?) that will need to be posted in my room and taught to my students before our school can become an authorized IB school. I am very grateful that I'm not in this alone - my principal and PYP coordinator will be with us on this journey to ensure Kate and I can keep our heads above water and our feet dancing in our new cowboy boots.

If I can manage the time, I'd love to go back to Austin and spend more time there. I have heard about, but still haven't seen 6th Street, the bats, or even the naked bicycle guy. 

What Do Teachers Do All Summer?

Although it does tend to rub me the wrong way when random people comment on the "short" hours required of teachers and how nice it must be to have summers off, I admit that if I did not inject structure into my summers I might end up spending entire days watching TV. But since I do tend to work every weekend and sit and grade papers after school and after dinner during the school year, I like to think I deserve a little down time during the summer. Here is a list of some of the things I have done so far this summer, with my "free time."

• Space Camp! While I've only done the teacher field trip thing for two summers, some kind of professional development has always been part of my summers since I started teaching. I even have another conference I'll be attending in late July. But that's work - this list wasn't supposed to be about work.

• Certification Renewal. Okay, one more about work. I spent time tracking down my professional development hours over the past five years and submitting an online renewal form and fee so it's still legal for me to do my job. I'm happy to report that my renewal came through yesterday. I am certified to continue teaching through June 2022!

• House Cleaning. It's not glamorous, but it's necessary, and something I flat out don't have time for during the school year. It's like spring cleaning, but in the summer. I have tackled organizing the guest room and kids' rooms (including their dressers) so far this summer. Next up for reorganization and clean out are kitchen cabinets and the pantry. I suppose I need to add the refrigerator to that list.

• Watching movies. I have actually sat on the couch with my family and watched movies several evenings recently! That might not sound like exciting news, but during the school year, I tend to sit at the kitchen table and listen to the TV while I'm grading, prepping, planning, or otherwise occupied with tasks related to my job. I even went to see Finding Dory twice, once with my boys and the following week with my goddaughter.

•  Scheduling Activity. Usually my personal activity level drops off substantially during the summer. I wear a pedometer, and have set my personal daily step goal at 14,000. On school days that's no problem, easy breezy. But when I'm not at school my step count has been known to plummet to under 5,000 steps per day. This summer I've been proactive and enlisted the support of a walking buddy. We've been meeting at 6:00am to walk for an hour, and on the days we've met I've had between 7,500-8,500 steps before 8:00am. As an added bonus, it's beautiful in the mornings!

Morning View

Morning Step Count



• Sleeping. I admit it - I've slept in and napped at least a couple of times during the summer. But I'm actually trying to stay on a "normal" schedule this summer.

• Appointments, Appointments, Appointments! Trying to schedule appointments during the school year is difficult. Most places have to book you way into the future to get times that are late enough that I can get there on time after teaching. So I tend to wait. I've taken cars in for oil changes, brake checks, and new tires already. Between my two sons, I have three (or is it four? I need to check on that) medical appointments coming up later this month. I've taken the dog to the vet... You get the idea.

• Visits! Not that we don't get visitors or visit people all year round, but there are more, bigger, longer visits during the summer months. All four of my kids' grandparents were just here for the Fourth of July weekend and I'm expecting two of my cousins and their families later this summer. We don't have any big trips scheduled for this summer, but might do some camping in August.

Spying on a Backyard Bunny with Papa

Both Grandmas

• Reading. I used to be an avid reader year round. But now days I tend to binge read on school breaks. I've already read six books this summer, seven if you count the one from the dog training facility. When I really get into it, I have been known to read a book and a half a day. Right now I'm in the middle of reading the list of books my incoming students were given in June for a summer reading assignment.

• Writing. I'm trying to finish my third short story for self-publication on Amazon, but have gotten sidetracked with starting a blog. Hopefully I'll get 1848 (a continuation of 1841 which has been up for five years already) online by the end of the summer so I can begin working on other stories that are floating around in my head.

• Attending Events with Family. This is actually something we try to do throughout the year, but we get to do more during the summer. We've already been to one Sounders game, and bought the 4-Match Pack to attend four more games between now and October. We're going to a concert this weekend, and a Fifth Avenue Theatre production later in the month.
  

  

  Sounders Match

  
  

  
  

  
  
• Meeting up with Friends. Besides the aforementioned walks in the morning, I've been able to see friends for coffee, dinner, and shopping so far this summer. I'm headed to a wine walk this weekend, and am in the process of scheduling a night to watch old movies with a friend. (And if you're reading closely, you'll have noticed that I have two events scheduled for the upcoming weekend - something I work hard to avoid doing to myself during the school year.)

Girl Time!

In the face of this long list of "not work" activities, I want to point out that the idea of teachers sitting on the beach, drinking margaritas all summer long is a myth. I have never met a teacher who didn't work at least a little bit during the summer, and most put in far more hours than many people realize. Later in the summer I'll post about my back to school prep.