Reinvention...

Hey everyone!

Let me introduce myself.  I'm a 42 year old wife, step-mom, and teacher who has reinvented herself several times over.  I've been married once before, which I like to refer to my other life, and have worked at various jobs, including an 11-year stint as a legal secretary.  After my divorce from my ex, I decided to take advantage of my new-found independence and follow my dream of becoming a teacher.  I had been graduated for 10 years and hadn't had any college experiences at all, so the whole idea was very new to me.  But nevertheless, I tested the waters and proved to myself that it was the right move for me and jumped in with both feet.  Fortunately it was more like a well-planned Olympic dive than the belly-flop that I feared it would be.

During my first marriage I was made to feel that I couldn't accomplish what I started, that going back to school would be a bad idea because I wouldn't be able to handle it and wasn't smart enough to finish.  Wasn't I proud each semester when my name would be posted in the local paper having made the Dean's list each time.  Then when I received a Presidential Award from my university for academic excellence, I couldn't have been more proud of myself.  A good part of me also felt like I was flipping the bird at those who used to tell me that I couldn't do it, and that I wasn't smart enough.  Just wait when they find out next spring that I've acquired my master's degree! HA!

Well, for the past 10 years I've paid my dues and eventually became a middle school language arts teacher, until this past year when my district decided to make cuts.  Yeah, I knew it was coming, but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt.  Fortunately I had the foresight to do what I had to do and started filling out applications and reconstructing my portfolio with proof of my ability to teach, use technology, and have some kind of knowledge of pedagogy.  Apparently I was convincing enough because I was hired in another district, the one I had worked in before as a full-time sub and had done my student teaching in.  In fact, I'll be working with the same two teachers I had worked with before while doing my student teaching.  The best thing is, I live between my old district and my new one so that means that my traveling won't change much, just the direction I'll be going.  Wonder how many times I'll turn toward my old district first before I finally turn the right way automatically? Anyhow, needless to say, I'm quite excited with my new position (grade 3), which starts in 3 weeks!

As for my family, I have a wonderfully supportive husband, who also decided to go back to school a few years ago and now works as a forester in the great outdoors.  I have two awesome stepsons, one who is a soccer player and has just received his learner's permit, and the other one who has just discovered that football is the sport for him.  I'll get into things more about them later.

I'm fortunate to have my parents, who have moved back to live in the house my mom was raised in, and I also have a beautiful sister who is nearly 12 years younger than me.  Yup...I was the built-in babysitter.  As much as I wanted to change that fact back when I was a teen, I look back now and wouldn't have had it any other way.

My hubby and I are doing the hobby farming thing.  We've done the chickens and cows before, but this year we've invested in more beef, chickens again, and this year we've added pigs.  So we, mostly my husband, keep busy with taking care of them all.  The chickens are my thing, but they won't be around for long.  My plan is for them to move from my back yard to my freezer this week.  It's not a pretty task, but it's one that I'll enjoy the rewards from all winter long.

So far I've reinvented myself by leaving an unhappy marriage, going back to school and making the grade, marrying my best friend and gaining 2 stepsons, changing from relying on others to provide my food for me to providing our own, changing careers a few times, and changing my view of myself as a couch-potato to an athlete, to a couch potato again, but that's a different story. To find out more, you'll have to stay tuned.  Until next time.....

Preparing my room....

Hey folks!

Well, today is the first time in several days I don't focus on my class.  I've either been planning here at home or working in my classroom getting it physically ready.  I have to change my frame of mind from middle school language arts to 3rd grade and teaching all subjects.  Not that I didn't have science, social studies, or math in mind from time to time when I was teaching middle school language arts, but I will now be teaching all of those subjects, and I need to start thinking that way.

My classroom was used as a storage/spare room last year, so there's a collection of a variety of things in there.  So you can imagine that it was quite bland and empty when I took out what I didn't need.

There were a lot of things on the shelf that I didn't need....

I was dealing with a blank slate...

There's a lot of sun that shines through those windows...

 

It was almost overwhelming.

 I've been working off and on for a few days, now that the floor is accessible.  Of course, I've made some progress, but there's still a lot of work to do.  School starts in less than 2 weeks and there's lots to do!!

I plan on using the Responsive Classroom approach, and the place I want to use for my morning meeting is here....

Granted it doesn't look like much of a spot right now, but trust me, it looks much better now.  I've purchased an area rug that I'll place there, there are a couple of bookshelves in the far right corner, blocking the back of the computer table that's now there.  My easel for the morning messages will be placed on that corner too.


Another thing I need to plan is where my centers will be.  My room looks much better now that I've done some work, but I haven't taken pictures yet.  I'll share them in my next post.  I think you'll see a pleasant difference.

Well, I began this post saying that I wasn't focusing on my classroom, but apparently that's all I've been doing.  Go figure!  Oh well, teaching is a large part of my life, so I should be more surprised if I don't think about my class, students, or the lessons I'm planning.  When that time comes, then it's probably time to consider another career. 

Guess I'll make myself a cup of coffee before we eat lunch and I head back to my class.  It's taking everything for me not to go right now.  I have to limit myself or I will literally spend the whole day there.  I have my rug to place, and I've prepared some bulletin board items to laminate and put up for my reading strategy board.  Things are coming together....