First Week of School

The first week of school is an exciting time. At least I think it is. I love meeting the new students and seeing the old students from the previous year.

The first day is pretty exciting. Of course, it's a day of disclosures. The kids think it's boring and, frankly, it kind of is. By the last hour, I gloss over the disclosure, the rules, and procedures, because I see the same students three times.

The second and third days are dedicated to the proposition that all students must be tested. We need to know where they are functioning academically and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

The fourth day. Ahh, the fourth day. Now we're rollin'.

I have rules. All good teachers have rules. I'm pretty darn consistent about enforcing the rules. I even obey my rules myself. It is never surprising or shocking when students push the limits. Frustrating, yes. Thankfully, I have only one student who is really engaged in boundary testing.

Now, tomorrow...tomorrow will be a most excellent day.

Oh, one more thing, thank goodness it's a three day weekend!

August Already

Here it is August already and I've been back to work several times to get things set up. My classroom is ready to go and I've spent today making plans for the year. I'm taking on a couple of Math classes and so I want to be ready.

I always feel a sense of excitement as a new year begins. Very rarely do I feel any kind of a sense of doom in the air. I think this is going to be an exciting year and I know it will never be dull. It never is.

Below is a picture of my classroom. The view is from my desk area. I love my classroom. It's a cozy and welcoming place. I don't know if my students love it as much as I do, but then again, that really doesn't matter, does it?