Classroom Setup: Picking Up the Pace (Days 9 & 10)

I start teaching first grade in about 2 weeks.

I looked at my room on Thursday.  I'm proud of my progress until I look at the classrooms on either side of me.  Then I start to feel like the boring teacher.  Theirs are so colorful, with really fun themes, with innovative layouts and smart use of space.  I know, I know, they aren't changing grade levels; it's not fair to compare.  But it happens.

I got all my backgrounds up and I'm just starting to add content to my bulletin boards.  I have "headings" printed and cut out for a few (but not hanging them up until I feel more confident about what is going on all of them; I'd hate to have to un/re-hang letters).  I'm happy with the "mood" in my room the colors have created.  And I'm happy with the flow of the different areas, although I know the feeling will change when the children are there (hopefully it will feel as good, just different). 

On Thursday my husband helped me sort a few stacks of books.  Most of the books I "inherited" were already sorted into bins for me.  The leveled books were mostly set.  The other section has bins that are sorted by genre, topic, or author (like I did in fourth grade) but along with the label on each bin, they also have small stickers on the bin and each and every book with a "code" to help children return them correctly.  I have to say I love that system.  It was never a priority for me in fourth, but I think in first it has to be.  I'm so glad it's done for me!  

One thing that was not so fun was that many of the miscellaneous books were in need of repair, and I got to the point where I have a lot of "misc" that I need to re-categorize another time.  But the bottom line is, if I had to, I have the closet space to shove them out of sight and introduce them later in the year  (Good practice to keep interest level up anyway!)

So although the walls/areas are coming together, at the end of the day Thursday, with a pile of books on the floor and mountains of "stuff" still on students' desks, I decided enough is enough.  I want to be ready ASAP.  My grieving process of changing grades is mostly over; I want to do this and do it well.  To the best of my ability.  I want to get to the point where I feel ready, and I feel my room is ready.  I can spend more time at the end with "finishing touches."  But I want the "work in progress" look to be over and done with.  So Friday I gave my husband "the day off," and after laminating my second round of print outs from Staples I worked my tail off.

The result: I made a fair sized "purge pile" of items to return to last year's teacher.  Not an overwhelming amount, but stuff I just don't want.  She can decide if she wants to pitch things.  Otherwise, I have a single group of student desks left that have posters to put away.

That's it.  Just two desks with posters on; all the rest are cleared off.  

I have no more miscellaneous stuff that "I'll sort out later" in any closet, shelf, or desk.  I'm so pleased with what I got done in one day!

So the game plan at this point is Monday will be the day to sort posters while my husband scrubs the desk tops, and together we'll finish sorting books.  For the rest of the week, I'll be sorting papers.  I expect it will take that long.  The following week we have meetings Tuesday through Thursday and a little time to work in rooms.  At that time I expect I'll be distributing students' books, folders, notebooks, and "goodies." 

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