I'm pleased to announce that I made it through my first day as an official high school English teacher---and it wasn't that difficult. That could be partly because today was "syllabus" day, and I spent most of the day going over expectations and procedures and giving the students a wonderful reading assessment (I'm sure the students were pleased with that on the first day!), and partly because today is a B day on the block schedule, and that means I only teach from 8:30-12:30. How wonderful to have the afternoon free for planning (or for sweating because it's ridiculously hot in the classroom)!!!
I wanted to add some pictures so you can see the before and after shots of my classroom. . . Enjoy! (The first pics are from Mr. Palossari.)
These are what the classroom looked like this summer. There was a balcony at the back of the room that they enclosed to help add a bit of room (still a tight squeeze, but it looks great now!)
So this is what my room looks like now. I brought over some posters that help brighten it up a bit. My desk is in the back left corner, but may need to be moved to make room for more desks (apparently lots of students want to take Honors English). I'm pretty excited about my two whiteboards. It's nice and homey--needs a bit more organization, but I'm definitely on my way to being done with it soon.
So today was my first day teaching. It was pretty nerve-wracking, but I actually had a lot of peace this morning. Such a blessing! Tomorrow I teach my other two classes, and then the real fun starts--planning for actual lessons! I definitely covet your prayers and thoughts as I get ready to dive into teaching my students. I really want to get to know them and find out what they need so I can cater lessons to them. I'll keep you posted!
I wanted to add some pictures so you can see the before and after shots of my classroom. . . Enjoy! (The first pics are from Mr. Palossari.)
These are what the classroom looked like this summer. There was a balcony at the back of the room that they enclosed to help add a bit of room (still a tight squeeze, but it looks great now!)
So this is what my room looks like now. I brought over some posters that help brighten it up a bit. My desk is in the back left corner, but may need to be moved to make room for more desks (apparently lots of students want to take Honors English). I'm pretty excited about my two whiteboards. It's nice and homey--needs a bit more organization, but I'm definitely on my way to being done with it soon.
So today was my first day teaching. It was pretty nerve-wracking, but I actually had a lot of peace this morning. Such a blessing! Tomorrow I teach my other two classes, and then the real fun starts--planning for actual lessons! I definitely covet your prayers and thoughts as I get ready to dive into teaching my students. I really want to get to know them and find out what they need so I can cater lessons to them. I'll keep you posted!
