It has been some time since I have posted to my blog. Not that I have not had ideas or inspirations soaring between the synapses in my brain; simply that I have been overwhelmed with all I currently have on my plate. As if, perhaps, my eyes were too large for my stomach, and here I am attempting to feed myself too much causing a virtual gaining of weight to occur. It is one thing to be literally bloated and a whole other concept to be virtually bloated. Neither is welcomed.
So here I sit, in a slightly rocky chair, humming some off the wall but peppy tune to myself as I examine the emotions shifting within me. The count down to the beginning of the school year is two weeks as of yesterday. In my current state, my classroom is not quite ready. Let us just be honest...it is far from ready. Not to say I have not been working on it for I have. In taking over for my fifth grade teacher, he left me with many (and I mean MANY) materials. You have heard of the Great Continental Divide, yes? Well, over a period of five days I conducted the Great Educational Sort. During any major event in history lessons are learned and deep thinking occurs. This cataclysmic moment is no exception:
1. I have never seen so much wood located in one room. From pre-made shelving units to haphazardly thrown together concoctions (as in one nail holding it all together snuggled between two other book cases) to random planks of wood to reused cupboard cabinets. Upon removing the majority of the wooden items, the room brightened and came alive - as if it had been previously 'board' into a gloomy stupor.
2. It is absolutely possible to be buried beneath a pile of teaching materials, only to surface for a nanosecond in order to discover more materials have been heaped on.
3. When sorting through any amount of materials, expect multiple copies and understand you are not hallucinating or experiencing any cosmic event.
4. If one is left with a fuzz over 1,000 books to sort through (he had over 5,000), it is necessary to purge most copies dating older than oneself (1940's anyone?), with the exception of some rare and indispensable classics.
5. When someone has been teaching for 30 plus years one can expect an unearthly amount of office supplies; to the point of never needing paper clips or staples for a couple years. Paper clip necklace anyone?
6. If one was unsure of the age of their predecessor, purging filing cabinets will uncover a tool to help ease this uncertainty - carbon copies.
7. It is perfectly natural to discover eight-legged insects hidden among and behind objects. It is perfectly natural to point, scream, and jump to a safer location equal to the size of the insect in question while imploring your friend to alleviate its presence from that particular vicinity.
8. Never ever attempt the Great Educational Sort by yourself. Friends are friends for such a reason.
As of today, less major piles are left in various places in my classroom awaiting my further attention. I will manage to purge through the final piles and develop a warm and inviting room to reflect the kind of community I want my students to help build. Slowly but surely said the tortoise to the hare...
So here I sit, in a slightly rocky chair, humming some off the wall but peppy tune to myself as I examine the emotions shifting within me. The count down to the beginning of the school year is two weeks as of yesterday. In my current state, my classroom is not quite ready. Let us just be honest...it is far from ready. Not to say I have not been working on it for I have. In taking over for my fifth grade teacher, he left me with many (and I mean MANY) materials. You have heard of the Great Continental Divide, yes? Well, over a period of five days I conducted the Great Educational Sort. During any major event in history lessons are learned and deep thinking occurs. This cataclysmic moment is no exception:
1. I have never seen so much wood located in one room. From pre-made shelving units to haphazardly thrown together concoctions (as in one nail holding it all together snuggled between two other book cases) to random planks of wood to reused cupboard cabinets. Upon removing the majority of the wooden items, the room brightened and came alive - as if it had been previously 'board' into a gloomy stupor.
2. It is absolutely possible to be buried beneath a pile of teaching materials, only to surface for a nanosecond in order to discover more materials have been heaped on.
3. When sorting through any amount of materials, expect multiple copies and understand you are not hallucinating or experiencing any cosmic event.
4. If one is left with a fuzz over 1,000 books to sort through (he had over 5,000), it is necessary to purge most copies dating older than oneself (1940's anyone?), with the exception of some rare and indispensable classics.
5. When someone has been teaching for 30 plus years one can expect an unearthly amount of office supplies; to the point of never needing paper clips or staples for a couple years. Paper clip necklace anyone?
6. If one was unsure of the age of their predecessor, purging filing cabinets will uncover a tool to help ease this uncertainty - carbon copies.
7. It is perfectly natural to discover eight-legged insects hidden among and behind objects. It is perfectly natural to point, scream, and jump to a safer location equal to the size of the insect in question while imploring your friend to alleviate its presence from that particular vicinity.
8. Never ever attempt the Great Educational Sort by yourself. Friends are friends for such a reason.
As of today, less major piles are left in various places in my classroom awaiting my further attention. I will manage to purge through the final piles and develop a warm and inviting room to reflect the kind of community I want my students to help build. Slowly but surely said the tortoise to the hare...
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