Hello friends,
Special prayer of complete healing for a good friend's mom who is in ER; many endless prayers for the termination of this awful drought; for all teachers everywhere, may they be blessed in abundance with patience, compassion, empathy, and humor; and Lord, please guide our political leaders to do right by the American people in their policies. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Last week I had the privilege, along with two out of five of my fellow fifth grade colleagues, to do some interviews for a suddenly open position in fifth grade. In-between interviews, I had time to go to my classroom and see how I want to arrange twenty-five student desks, and I do my best to imagine how the room will look to an eleven-year-old, determined to make the room seem 'homey' and 'comfy.' I wonder if the students even realize how much their teachers think of them before they step foot in our classrooms. Reminds me of Jeremiah 1:15, "Before you were in your mother's womb, I knew you."
I took out many of the tables in the room, and left myself two: one where reading and math groups will take place, and the other for student's completed work.
I joke to my co-workers, "The classroom would have so much more room if it weren't for the students!" But of course that's why I do my job, this labor of love, for the students.
This year is different for me in several areas: I'll be finishing my MA in school counseling; in fact, my pre-practicum and practicum will all be done this year; I'll be teaching an all English class, which I haven't ever done in my 16 years in this career. I know I will have Latin children in my room, but absolutely no Spanish will be spoken, unless I'm talking to a parent who speaks only Spanish. and lastly, all the students, teachers, principal, asst principal, and parents will go camping in December. I'm looking forward to it. The camping is pretty easy - we stay in cabins instead of tents - there will be hiking, archery, canoeing. Fun!
I went over budget on buying for my classroom, which teacher doesn't do that?!, but I did get some pretty good bargains. A small, cute, lamp and clock from Goodwill. A $7 tower lamp from Target. All to create a nice ambiance and offer a different sort of lighting to the students than the usual bright lights above their heads; fabric for the bulletin boards, borders for said bulletin boards, lysol..just 'incidentals' that add to the classroom running smoothly.
I will dust off furniture, put textbooks on desks, build a tree on the column in the middle of my room...I usually take the week before all our trainings and massive staff meeting, Convocation, as it is called, to get ready for the beginning of the year. Teachers are given a day to prepare, but that's just not enough time for me.
And so another year will begin.
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
Posts
