Another Look

From one side of the room to the other

The Stage

Yet another arrangement of desks:
individual work, but needed to pass writing around their group. 

The stage lights work and now need adjusting for future performances.
I think this is the first time they have ever been turned on.
I wasn't sure they even worked.
My room is pitch black without classroom lights on, so this will be perfect for small performances.
Lunch Box Theater?
Brown Bag Theater?
We have to come up with a name and the perfect first performance.

Room 502, signing out.

Room 502

This new school year in a different room with three new preps is kicking my buns. One week in, I feel like a forgetful new teacher. So far, I have forgotten to run off papers, post bell work, and take roll in more classes than I care to share. (I'm sure the secretaries love me!)

But...my room looks good. (I'm telling myself that so that there is something positive to say about my first full week.)

This is the ramp leading into my room. You can also see the lights above the stage and the awesome wall decoration my colleague left for me.

This room seems huge to me, though it is hard to tell that from the photos. Twenty foot ceilings will do that for you. Add the small stage and it is challenging to arrange desks. Except for the top left photo above, all the photos are of my north wall. This is where all of my cabinets and my desk are located. The top left photo is the student file section that they can access as soon as they enter the room. The green tile on the floor leads to the entry/exit ramp.

The top left photo is the bookshelf of my teacher books and resources. The next three photos are of my east wall. The bottom two are of my south wall. The double doors in the last picture lead into a big prop and costume closet.  You can also see the exit ramp.

Essentially, I have tried to divide the room in half.  One half is devoted to English with my little class library, book border, and English calendar on the board.  The other half is devoted to Speech, Drama, and Forensics with movie posters, NYC, and their class schedule for the week.

The pictures don't do the room justice. In fact, I'm not sure I do the room justice, but I'm working on it!

This is a fun room for a drama teacher.

Teacher, Reporting For Duty!

The 2015-2016 school year begins for teachers tomorrow. The theme for this year is Creativity.  By encouraging creativity in our teachers, they hope to cultivate the creativity of our students.

Creativity could almost be the theme song for my new classes: Speech, Forensics, and Drama. I am excited to see what we accomplish. My lesson plan/idea notebook is full of activities for each class. I think I am going to be operating outside my comfort zone for most of the year!

English II is undergoing changes also. My new creative young colleague (who is teaching the other half of the English II classes) will insure that a hefty dose of creativity will be part of English II this year, too. I love her take on things and her creativity provides just the spark I need.

All this being said, I am HAVING to get creative in some ways.  Namely, keeping track of student data so this scrambled brain of mine can remember how students performed on formatives and what interventions were used to re-teach. There isn't room for this data in the traditional grade book or the online grade book. I have an idea for tracking this data, and if it works I will share it in future posts.

I feel like I spent most of the summer decorating a non-traditional classroom. After all, not every classroom has a stage in the middle of it. That feature alone has my creative juices flowing already. Hopefully, I can post a video tour of my room tomorrow.

Here's to thinking outside the box and a wonderful 2015-2016.

August- Back-To-School Month

The calendar says August so that means time to...

...finish the schedule of Dr. appointments.

...sort through my closet, repairing, replacing, and making sure my teacher "wardrobe" (and I use that term loosely) is ready to go.

...schedule a haircut, manicure, and pedicure.  (These appointments become trickier to schedule once school starts.)

...locate my school lunch tote and personal crock pot, then stock the fridge and pantry with lunch-packing items.

...finish any cleaning jobs at home that I left to the last minute.  (Curtains, you know I'm talking about you!)

...shop for the composition notebooks that I'm sure several students will have to purchase from me during the first days of school.

...buy those command velcro dots that I love.  I am always out of them!

...store photos and files on my external hard drive.  (Such a time consuming job, but always good to have a backup.)

...purchase a new school mascot shirt to wear on game days.

I'm sure I've forgotten a few things on my list. (Unimportant things like lesson planning and making copies and...!)

August 1st always tells me it is time to get organized at home and at school. This year, I have nine days to pull it all together. Nine days!  Yikes!