Goodbye My Sweet Summer

I went into my classroom for the first time yesterday. We moved into a temperary building for two years while our new school is being built. All our boxes (I think I had 55 or so?-how did I accumulate that much stuff in one year???) were moved on Monday but I didn't feel up to visiting until Wednesday. I walked into my room (Room 9) and immediately felt terror. Why terror you ask? Pure terror because THERE ARE 55 BOXES TO UNPACK AND A CLASSROOM TO SET UP! I'm not a visual-spatial person. I score SO LOW on those tests that tell you what kind of "learner" you are, it's off the chart. So I have a really hard time *imagining* what my furniture will look like when it's moved. I have to actually move it to decide if I like it there or not. Those of you who don't know me, I'm a pretty smallish person with not a whole lot o' muscles. So me moving bookcases, file cabinents, and computers around is pretty darn hilarious. Let's just say there were a few words uttered that have no place inside an elementary school building. Needless to say, yesterday I accomplished. . .nothing. I stood around staring at the room for awhile and decided it was too overwhelming.

Today was better. It started with a 3 1/2 hour meeting about assessments in reading and then I headed over to school. My principal mentioned at the meeting that I should bring the dog over to school to introduce to everyone. He was a hit! He always is. It's almost embarassing how popular this dog is. Two people have actually stopped their cars in parking lots to tell me my dog is cute. It's beyond ridiculous. So, I figured if my principal says the dog can come, the dog can come. I still felt like I was breaking multiple laws and would be fired immediatley but alas, I am still employed. I felt bad because I didn't bring his bed (the dog-thought I should clarify that) so he didn't really relax the entire 5 hours we were there. Tomorrow if he comes with me I will try to remember it. One of my students from last year was there today with her mom setting up the library/helping around the building and she took Rex for a walk around the playground. I'll be sad to not have her as a student this year, she was a true joy to teach. Such a sweetheart. So the dog sniffed every inch of my MESSY classroom, spilled his water dish, whined and barked when I was hidden from him behind a bookcase and he thought I had left him, and charmed his way into every person's heart in the building. My principal said he's welcome to come to school anytime. Sweet! My grade-level partner and I spent 2 1/2 hours today making class lists for this year's fourth grade teachers. It was so stressful and time consuming! We had to consider the # of boy/girls in each class as well as academic needs, behavior needs, special ed needs, and keeping particular students separated. We tried our best to "even out" each class which was harder than I ever thought it would be.

I just got off the phone with my mom. There's some stressful stuff going on in the family right now so it was nice to chat with her and get updated. She's a teacher too and flew down here last year when I got my job to help me set up my first classroom. How great of a mom is she? The best. On the phone I told her how many times I thought of her today and how I wished she could have come down to visit again this year. She's super busy as well, moving into her new school building. She has an additional drama going on though-her district might go on strike soon. The weirdest part? Even if they go on strike, the teachers HAVE to teach on the first day of school. Meaning, they would teach for a day, go on strike, and who knows how long that could go on? I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that right now.