Monday, August 11, 2008

My Trick

The worst/best job in teaching can be getting room ready for a new year. It is fun because you get to be creative, make everything clean again, and the room looks nice for maybe a week before people come in. It is the worst job because the school isn't airconditioned, and you have to do it in June or August. Putting paper on bulletin boards doesn't necessarily have me running to tell Mike at Dirty Jobs, but it is really awkward and you get sweaty and dusty really fast.


To finish a room, it takes me about a week, because I only work a few hours in the morning. Then I go home and take a shower.


Last May, the District and the State changed our standardized testing format. The students took them online. That meant we had to fit 13 classrooms into 2 computer labs. Thank heavens the little kids still take paper and pencil tests. This meant we started earlier and ended later. All this meant that my schedule for the end of the year was thrown out the window.


I was pulling out old lesson plans to fill the last three weeks of school. After you've taken the tests you tell the kids, "I know you don't have anymore big tests but this information is important too" they look at you and think "yeah, see we just took our tests for three weeks. We're tired. Our learnin' is done this year." (I blame "No Child Left Behind" for making the tests so dadgum important that even 10 year olds are aware that a failed test can "fail" a class, and enough of those can "fail" a school. I didn't tell them that. But I digress.)


So in May during the last week of school, out of desperation, I started putting up the next year's bulletin boards and I got everyone involved. They went up in one afternoon. (I had 35 helpers). I got worried that the sun might fade the paper, so we covered everything with more butcher paper. That took another afternoon.


So, now I don't have to put anything up in the August heat. And it looks really nice. Neat trick!


Just use the underaged workers. I paid them with candy.


4 comments:

Sharlon said...

You go Girl!!!!
Your classroom looks awesome. How nice not to be stuck in the hot classroom this summer.
When does school start for you guys? Our kids start on the 26th. As a Mom I am counting down the days. I will only have Bo at home, Jayson starts all day kindergarten September 2nd. I can't wait!!! The kids are dreading it already, poor things!

sarah louise said...

That makes me miss teaching and having you across the hall from me! This time of year makes me a little sad that I am not still in the classroom. Then I remember my kids are going to school and I get mornings to myself...and I get over it!

RobisonWells said...

The new colors on your blog are making me go blind. Just FYI.

christina pettit said...

I changed it just for you Rob. Just so you know, I ALMOST put up the "Breaking Dawn" background...just for you.