 |
| https://pixabay.com/en/event-planner-schedule-agenda-date-2723844/ |
Wednesday, August 26
Dear Diary,
I
accomplished most of the stuff on my list! It took me most of the morning but
by lunchtime I had a large trashcan and 30+ chairs in my classroom.
Now there
will be enough chairs for the students to sit at their assigned tables as well
as extras for the Writing Center, Computer Center, and Dramatic Play.
YAY!
I
also set up the basic layout of the classroom placing the tables, chairs, large
group area, and shelves in formation.
After that, I wiped down all the
furniture that I had commandeered. Of course everything was filthy, but the
room is starting to look like a real classroom.
I
spent the afternoon trying to organize my file cabinet and my desk. Another set
of arduous and unpleasant tasks.
Ms. Slate, the teacher who had the classroom
before me must have been bitter when she retired because the disregard for
school property is apparent. The incredible amount of trash she left behind is
a perfect example.
To
my dismay, I discovered that my desk drawers were filled with mouse droppings,
my file cabinet was filled with junk: a ton of broken crayon pieces, dried up
markers, stacks of papers, and other miscellaneous items that needed to be
tossed.
I did find a file with Kindergarten welcome letters and ocean-themed
activities that might be helpful. One collection of papers that I was surprised
to find were pink slips.
I didn't know you were able to write kindergartners up
for misbehaving. It seems a little harsh to write a pink slip for a child that
is so young. I'm not sure I'll be able to do it.
There
may be more treasures hidden in those metal drawers, but it would take hours to
sort through the mounds of jumbled papers crammed into them. I can't waste
anymore time on that.
Right
before 3:00 I had a short meeting with the principal, Mrs. Antoinette Bernard.
She's a blondish woman middle-aged woman with a beaky nose and close-set eyes
that scrutinize everything. Her office
is well-kept and larger than I thought it would be.
I had heard rumors that
she'd grown up as an army brat and ran her school in a similar militaristic
style.
She red-lines staff if they're one minute late, she expects lesson
plans to be submitted on time to her exact specifications, and she's as blunt
as they come, often embarrassing teachers in front of co-workers and parents.
I
haven't experienced or witnessed any of these behaviors, so I'm trying to keep
an open mind.
I
knocked on Mrs. Bernard's office door and was promptly told to enter.
It was
much larger and airier than I had expected, almost refreshing after trooping
through the dingy, narrow halls to get there.
The entire building needs a fresh
coat of paint, minus Mrs. Bernard's office, which is a vibrant shade of peach
with bright white molding.
Her
U-shaped desk was the immediate focal point, a brand new laptop and phone sat
neatly on the glass-topped surface.
A collection of frames, artfully arranged
on one wall, held diplomas and certificates indicating her impressive
credentials.
A Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, a Master's in
Education with a concentration in school administration and other various
educational certifications that confirmed she belonged in the position of
school principal.
A
large rectangular window hung with lace curtains overlooked a sparse patch of
brittle grass and the street beyond.
I watched the cars zipping by as I sat in
one of the leather seats facing Mrs. Bernard's desk while she finished skimming
over a file of papers.
"I
hope you're settling in nicely," she said closing the file.
"I
am, thank you."
"So
what brings you to my office today?"
"I
was wondering if you could spare any extra computers for my classroom."
Mrs. Bernard smiled. "I can actually. As
soon as the shipment arrives, Kindergarten will be receiving two brand new
desktops per classroom."
An
unexpected bonus. "Wow. Thank you."
"The
shipment may take a few weeks to arrive however."
Crap.
I knew there would be a catch. A few weeks could end up being a few months with
this district.
"That's fine," I replied, hiding my disappointment.
From what I had observed, my grade group partner and the first and second
grades already had two desktops in their computer centers.
I wondered what had
happened to my classroom's computers.
"It's just nice to know that my
students will have access to them. I was also wondering when we would get our
class lists. I'd like to start scheduling parent interviews."
"The
lists won't be complete until next week. We're still registering students.
There's always a mad rush the last week of August and the first week of
September."
Double-crap.
I'd wanted to send home letters introducing myself to the children and their
parents before they came for the interviews next Thursday.
How would there be
time to schedule and complete them all before the children started school?
"Thank
you, Mrs. Bernard."
Disheartened,
I left her office, my mind struggling to come up with a game plan for
scheduling the parent interviews that were destined to flow over into the first
day of school.
If parents don't meet with me before their children start school
they're not going to know me, my classroom policies, the supplies they'll need,
or where to drop off or pick up their children in the schoolyard.
Great,
just great!
In
Head Start there were often delays getting a complete list, but there were only
19 children per classroom and a full-time teaching assistant to help set up the
classroom if I got caught up in parent interviews.
What would have happened if
I hadn't come in a whole week early to start setting up?
I've
wasted three days on tasks that I hadn't anticipated doing.
Tomorrow
I want to start decorating the boards. After I left work, I picked up borders
for the boards, tags for labeling the cubbies, and nameplates for the tables.
I'd like to be frugal and just make some of this stuff, but since I'm doing a
lot of heavy duty cleaning, I need to get some things done quickly.
I'm
exhausted! I'm sore! I'm aggravated and the school year hasn't even started.
Maybe I should stay home tomorrow and relax.
What are your thoughts on teachers getting preliminary class lists?
