Photo of the Week: Week 41

So, this week has been pretty busy with work stuff. Again.

I knew that taking a new job would be time consuming, but quite honestly, I wasn't expecting this. Here's to hoping this is just beginning of the year work load. 

Don't believe me... check out the amount of work I have been taking home.

Saturday afternoon in our home. 

Sunday evening, a little more organized. 

And they say teachers have it easy. Clearly those who make such statements have never really been or lived with a teacher. 

Adventures in Teaching: Classroom Décor

With a new job, comes a new classroom. This time around, I have decided to go Classroom Couture with my decor.

If you are a teacher on Pinterest, you have no doubt seen the remarkable classroom stylings of School Girl Style. She created Classroom Couture… literally. She sells a variety of wonderful classroom decoration packets. It was from these lines, that I found inspiration.

I really wanted a more uniform and cohesive look this year. After a quick look in the local Lakeshore Learning, I was able to find a few things to build inspiration on. I knew that my new classroom was going to be a bit on the dark side (not very many windows), so I wanted nice bright colors. And, if you know me, you know I love polka dots. It might be a bit much — but here is my inspiration so far.

The current plan: black and white polka dots with splashes of yellow, hot pink, tealy blue, and a little pop of lime green.

Note from the author: this was my first attempt at making a layered collage. There are some issues. But, hey, it's a start! I used GIMP. Each one of those pieces is a separate layer. Everything but the polka dot background needed to be tweaked. It was wild. :) 

Adventures in Teaching: Outdoor School

As a sixth grade teacher in my school district, I am responsible for taking my students to Outdoor School for a few days every year. Prior to working in the district, I had never even heard of Outdoor School, or "Sixth Grade Camp." Today I completed my fourth experience as a teacher at Outdoor School. This year, we attended from Tuesday - Friday. (Yes! Teachers sleep in cabins just like the students!) Sixth graders get the opportunity to learn about ecology, geology, conservation and other sixth grade science standards in 'real-world' applications. It also provides the students with a variety of opportunities for growth in respect, self-reliance, hard-work and perseverance. It is a very challenging, exhausting, and rewarding experience. The best part --- this becomes your classroom for four days, twelve hours a day!

Adventures in Teaching: Kid Quotes

One great thing about sixth grade, you can totally mess with them and joke around with them, and they don't get "all butt-hurt." Two kids were sitting on the playground. Another teacher was harassing his student about whether the kid or his dogs were better. Here is a general transcript of the interaction:

T (Teacher): I don't know, I think my dogs might be better. I mean, they actually listen to me. If I ask them to sit, they sit. 

S1 (Student 1): Come on, we listen. Most of the time. 

T: Okay, maybe. But my dogs have tails. You don't have a tail, so my dogs are better. 

S1: Well, we kind of have tails. We have a tailbone, which started out as a tail.... but you know over time it became just the,uh, tail bone. 

S2 (Student 2): Dude, that's called revolution, you know humans came from other animals. That's, like, revolution. 

S1: Dude, I think you mean evolution. 

S2: Yeah, that's what I said, evolution.

Adventures in Teaching: SIXTH GRADE

Cons:

Switching classrooms. 32 huge sweaty, stinky kids. Hormones (theirs not mine.) More parents/report cards/conferences/everything. Did I mention  huge, sweaty, stinky kids? Big kids are less likely to want to please the teacher just because. Having the same group of *lovely children* as two years ago.

Pros:

Outdoor Education. Not having to explain the verbiage I use on a daily basis. Better social science curriculum. A trip to Greece would be tax deductible. Kids can use scissors on their own. Kids less likely to pee their pants. Two prep periods. Books with words containing more than three, four or five letters. Not having kids make shocking faces and the coordinated loud gasps when they hear the word stupid (or any other not nice word) in a book. 

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." ~Victor Frankl

I did it before, I can do it again. Bring on the sixth graders!