How do you decide you’re close enough to done?
The first day of school was last week and I didn’t finish my to-do list before class started. It was long and I kept finding things to add to it.
There were unexpected meetings and tasks the week before school that took time I planned to spend working in my classroom.
As the week went on and my time left got shorter I started prioritizing the items on my list. I realized I couldn’t do everything. But everything didn’t need to be done to be done enough for Monday. My focused goal became Monday.
On Saturday, my work was purely about making the room ready for Monday. Any projects left out that weren’t needed for Monday to be a success were put in bins and the bins went in the closet.
Did I meet my ideal goal? No. But I finished what needed to be done to be successful on Monday.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Your room looks great.
I was given a completely empty room except for three splintering bookcases that were not deep enough to hold the book bins for the library. Oh, and there was no library either… just the leftover crummy books no one wanted.
I’ve managed to beg a horseshoe table and enough desks. But no more bookcases or filing cabinets or even extra tables. I only have four computers but am expected to integrate technology in every subject. My principal is aware of the problems but offers no help.
Any suggestions that might help?
Sounds like you are doing a great job making the best of a tough situation. Here’s some ideas that might help.
You don’t need a computer for every student to integrate technology.
The computers can become a center activity. Have small groups rotate through the computers to do math and reading games or type final drafts of stories. Students can also work with partners or groups of three at a computer so you can accommodate more than four students at a time.
To get more books, check library fundraiser sales and have your students do book orders. You earn points for the money they spend and you can order a lot of books with the points. Even if they don’t spend much, the points add up quickly.
Louisa,
Lauren is right. It does sound like you are making the best of a bad situation. Scholastic is a wonderful book order program that you can easily earn books for your classroom. They even offer $10 in free books to new teachers with their first orders. Remember too, technology is not just limited to your children using the computers. You can incorporate your overhead projector into a lesson, a smartboard (if you have one), hot dots, even a geosafari can be considered technology (depending on your students’ ages). Don’t limit yourself to just computers.
My other suggestion to you would be to make friends in the maintenance department so that they can get you some bookshelves and cabinets made.
I often stress about having the room ready for the first day. I never get everything done but I find it comforting that the students enjoy the room in whatever state it is in!
I am a sophmore majoring in elementary and special education. I enjoyed reading your blog about when to stop setting up your classroom. I know from other teachers that I have talked to how getting the class prepared is always stressful because of worrying if they will have it all done before it’s time for the students to enter into the classroom. This helped me realize when I have my classroom and need to start setting up to prioritize what needs to get done first.
I am a high school Science teacher in an aging and overcrowded school. Sometimes at the end of the year other teachers may discard furniture that you might be able to use. You might also check, through proper channels in our system, with other schools in the area who might have been able to replace some equipment and have materials you can use. Also check with local colleges/trade school and businesses for donations. Never hurts to ask, and sometimes it can really be a positive. Stuff for you to use, good PR for them.
It was very wise of you to switch focus to just getting ready for Monday. Unfortunately we are not perfect and life is not perfect either so we as teachers have to be willing to adapt like you did.
“The First Days of School” by Wong and Wong is a great book that has all sorts of advice for teachers, regardless of inexperience or experience. I am a junior in college studying elementary ed and ESL. If your room is the one that there is a picture of, it looks great! Nice and tidy, neat and organized.
For the teacher trying to incorporate technology into her room, it seems like your doing a good job, hang in there. As the one teacher said, there is more to technology than computers. You could watch videos, listen to tapes on different subjects. I know when I was learning multiplication my teacher had us learn songs that were on tapes. That’s considered incorporating technology. I hope you get some more equipment for your room. For your library you could put up a drop box for used books around your school district, take the books you want, and then disperse the books where fit.
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