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I stood in the midst of my classroom yesterday afternoon, feeling lost—somewhat akin to the mood I imagine lingering about Hansel and Gretel as they found themselves disoriented deep in the forest and surrounded by wild and ferocious animals.
I sank into one of my student’s chairs.
I’d worked at the juvenile detention center for a hefty chunk of the summer, and spent a good portion of it putting my classroom back together again—all the king’s horses and all of his men had nothing on me, I’ll tell you that. However, even after hours of work, there were all of those little things that never seemed to find their places. At home, I’d automatically shoved them into the junk drawer where they’d magically find their way into another day’s adventure at some clandestined future moment, when they were most desperately needed…like the room of requirement at Hogwarts.
Alas, my classroom was not Hogwarts.
…at least not yet.
There would be no sorting ceremonies, quite simply I was Hufflepuff…I took everyone, not the brave, not the crafty, or the most clever...I would take the lot: the hodgepodge mix of what makes a classroom what it is.
If I had a choice I think my classroom would be Slytheryn. It seems that the Slytheryns always seem to have the most fun.
I arose from my student’s chair and looked longingly at my empty Dr. Pepper cup from Walker’s Gas Station down the road from previous working visit.
Okay, Teachinfourth…work. You’ve got to get to work…
Into the playlist went a repeated sampling of Katy Perry songs and I tried my best to find my way out of the forested jungle of my classroom.
My desk is still a pile of the unknown, but the rest of the classroom looks pretty great.
Tomorrow is ‘officially’ my first day back to work for meetings and such, through truthfully, I’ve spent a good chunk of the summer there. However, I’m still hoping that the trail of breadcrumbs will lead me to where I need to be before Thursday’s Back to School Night. After all, all of those little wild animals will come, whether or not I’ve found my way through that dratted forest…
13 comments:
Do you read these aloud before you post them? I can totally hear you reading this. It made it that much better. Hahaha! I hope you find your way through the muddled chaos. Best of luck!
I'll bet this post would make more sense to me if I read the Harry Potter books.
Two thoughts: LOVE Dr. Pepper. Good call. Katy Perry? Gag me! Perhaps I should make you a mixed CD.
Dude, where is your aide? I remember helping the teacher I was an aide to over the summer... A lot of work putting up that 'wallpaper' of construction paper isn't it? I agree w/Jamie in her comment....lol
Ravenclaw, definitely Ravenclaw for my classroom.
I wish you a wonderful year and hope the animals don't turn on you.
I'm pretty sure I got lost in some of the nerd speak there (I speak another dialect), but good luck for another year! Just the thought makes me a little nervous, I don't know how you do it. :)
I was in that exact same spot last week, currently my room is 'presentable' and much less cluttered than it's been in a long while... But my closet is still much like the 'room of requirement' lots of stuff thrown in haphazardly for a later date... I've got student appts Wed and Thurs..
Good luck with your new year! Can't wait to read about it!
Wow Teach. That took me back to my days in the classroom. The ones no one even knew about. My Aug. 10 birthday always came with a twinge of sadness, followed by a little floundering like that. To let the best of summer go and be ready for the kids but not be energized by having them there and knowing and loving them yet--that was the biggest challenge of my year. I loved Oct. 1, when the really hard work was done, and things were humming with my kids.
I know the 5th graders at your school eagerly await the posting of the class lists, checking Mr. Z's list first!
I guess I wouldn't get to be in your class since I am most definitely a Gryffindor.
Hope you're loving the first day!
Loved your Harry Potter references - I have not watched all the movies and just purchased all of them except for the recent release - my girls and I are watching them in anticipation of watching the final movie on the big screen...
Good luck with your new year!
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I totally relate to your Hansel and Gretel issue of feeling disoriented but for different reasons. I took on the job of starting up a boys athletic booster club and then crazily enough agreed to be the president and having never done this before I'm wishing there were some bread crumbs to follow - but it seems I'm the one having to leave them for the ones next year.
Today, I totally needed a huge junk drawer and some serious "Kirsten music" - and the 44 oz DP just wasn't cutting it... I kind of can't wait until a week from now when I can just say, "Oh well, guess whatever is done is done - forget the rest!"
September always seems like the New Year to me. A time of starting fresh and new. Even without kids in school, it still feels that way
September does that, doesn't it?
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