It’s that
time of year – the crazy time before school starts. The time of year that I’m
overwhelmed and just trying to get something done each day without losing my
mind. When trying to realize why I was losing it, why after fourteen years of
teaching the start of school still seems insane, I wrote down what I was doing
and needed to do to get ready to start. This was my list last week:
Create
these documents and put students’ names on:
· Grade book pages
· Master Data sheets
· Homework check in
· Master list (and numbered list)
· State Book Award sheet – and that
created
· Folder cover
Put
students’ names on:
· Evernote notebooks
· Kidblog
· Biblionasium check-out
· Plans created – new template
· First two weeks of plans sketched
out
· ISAT results recorded
· Schedule created
· New bulletin board titles created
and put up
· Labels updated
· Shelves cleaned
· 100+ new books labeled, put in the
database, and onto shelves
· All baskets checked for correct
books
· Room arranged
· Shelves cleaned
· Schedule cards created
· Lunch count created
· New classroom website and blog
created
· Seating chart created
This isn’t
even everything, just what I thought of as I typed. There is so much more to
do, and I’m not even “officially” back yet. We have one day to come back
(Monday) and then the kids arrive Tuesday.
Deep
breaths.
Yet, even
with the stress, the excitement is building. I met a few students the other
day – got my first hug from one of them. I’ve had texts, emails, and messages
from new parents sharing how excited their children are. And when I look around
the room, I can feel the anticipation of great things – great book
conversations, Skype visits with friends, amazing writing waiting to come
forth. I know, I am certain, it is going to be a great year.
And it starts in four days.
Yikes.
And it starts in four days.
Yikes.
