Many of you know that I left the classroom about 5 years ago (I did the math three times to be sure that is right- it doesn't feel that long ago). Alas, I am a teacher without a classroom every year this time when the back-to-school supplies come out. I can't contain my excitement at new crayons, glue sticks etc.
Here comes the TOP SECRET/EXCITING NEWS:
NOW I WILL HAVE A CLASSROOM for all of those school supplies! No, I am not going back to the classroom- but rather the best of BOTH worlds! Keep reading!
I work full time for DC Public Schools in the curriculum office where I design the professional development for all of our K-5 teachers. We have been looking for creative training spaces for teachers and one of my co-workers had a brilliant idea! Why not in a school? Why not set up model classrooms that teachers can be trained in?
So- I get a classroom again! Yep! You heard me! I am going to get a classroom in one of our DC Public schools (we are still conversing with the administrators at a few schools so I cannot announce THE school yet), but I will have a model classroom where I can train teachers during the school year!
GOOD news or BAD news?
GOOD- I do NOT have to have this classroom set up by the time school starts. Whew! I just have to have it set up by my first scheduled training which is in October. That is still a tight deadline if you ask me!
More GOOD news- I finally have a place for all of that "stuff" in my basement!
More GOOD news- I am the Guided Reading/Literacy Work Stations girl for the district- so I don't have to set up for anything else!
More GOOD news- I have a coordinator on the Literacy Team who will help me do anything and everything. I never had a personal assistant like that when I was setting up a classroom. Unless you count my parents...
GOOD news- when we need to demo lessons etc. we have kids RIGHT downstairs!
BAD news- I haven't set up a classroom in FIVE years (see above). Yikes!
BAD news- have you heard of this thing called PINTEREST? The cute factor has been raised so high! I'm freaking out about how "cute" my room needs to be. Uh-oh. I have made a secret board on Pinterest however. And I've started pinning.
BAD news- I am pretty sure our classrooms are on the top floor of the school. I've never had to lug my teaching belongings UP flights of stairs! All of my schools have been only one floor. Oh my.
I do plan to chronicle the set-up. I think we (we= myself and the other two Literacy Professional Learning Designers in DC- I'm Guided Reading/Work Stations, another is Close Reading, and the third is our Phonics/Morphology girl) are going for a school visit next week. I'll take my first BEFORE shots.
Stay tuned...
