Preparing for Back to School Night!

Tonight I had Back to School night! It went really well! I was totally stressing myself out which was really unnecessary.

I had prepared some thing that I wanted to give to parents earlier this summer based on things that I found online. But I found this week that it was a little bit of a waste of time. My principal gave me a list of things that she wanted us to include in the information that we gave to our parents. Most of the things that I had prepared this summer I didn't use.

I have also been SOOOO stressed out this past week. I think it might be because we have just gone through an information dumping week. Everyone is giving us everything they know about every topic and it is just SO much information. GAH!

Lesson 1: Ask your principal for a list of what she wants to go out for Backpack Night (or Back to School Night) because chances are, she (or he) has one!

Lesson 2: It is A LOT of information at the beginning. Bring a pen, paper to take notes, water, and take LOTS of deep breaths! They know that it is your first year and that you are going to make mistakes. Remember: it is OKAY to say "I don't know." If you try to fake your way through it, they know--trust me!

My Classroom (pre-pictures)!

Today I was able to get into my classroom and start organizing it. The teacher before me left a lot of resources in my room and so I need to try to find a place for everything. I was also able to find my box in the office. And my name is already on the door!

I wanted to post pictures of what my classroom looks like before I get it organized the way I want it. So here they are!

From the front door:

From the corner diagonal from the front door:

I will post after pictures later this week. My classroom should be set up by next Monday. :)  I am getting so excited for the school year.

I have decided to post the lesson that I have learned with each experience and I am going to link experiences on a separate page to make the lessons that I have learned more easily searchable.

Lesson: DEFINITELY go in as soon as possible to set up your room because you never know if the teacher before you left a ton of stuff or not.

School Supplies

I LOVE school supplies! I have been drooling over all of the new school supplies that are popping up all over the place. My grandma gave me some money to help me get settled in my new town. So today I went to the store and got a few things for my classroom that I have either read will be helpful or pinned on Pinterest.

I got a label maker! I can put my name on the bottom of things that belong to me before I get them into my classroom.

I also found an idea on Pinterest to help students remember to put their names on their papers. You leave a cup of highlighters near where you want them to turn in assignments and make them highlight their name before they turn it in.

I bought three pen holders, one for this idea and one for dull/sharp cups for pencils.

I am going to use Mod Podge to decorate them and add labels. Hopefully they turn out as cute as the ideas I have found on Pinterest!

I also bought three dish pans to use as Work Baskets. While I was reading a blog (The Clutter-Free Classroom) I stumbled upon one of her flash freebies. Her suggestion was to purchase plastic dish pans from the dollar store (if the only dollar store you have is Family Dollar, I actually found them cheaper at Walmart). You can spray paint them to add color to the classroom if you want. Then you use Mod Podge to glue labels onto the sides of the dish pans to make the labels last longer. You have students turn in assignments by subject. That way, you can save time sorting through papers that need grading. Right now they are just white, but when I get paid I am definitely buying spray paint.

I also finally got to see my classroom! My friend has a key to the building (I haven't met any school officials in person yet). I am so excited because my room is HUGE! And there are so many resources already stacked in my classroom. I really want to get back in there, but I have to either wait until Tuesday or see if my friend is up for another trip out there.

I am getting so excited for school to start. Today was hard because Mike went back to Colorado. It is really going to be difficult being so far away from him especially when I run into some issues. I will start posting more soon because my first day is on Tuesday!! Wish me luck!!!!!

Welcome to Kansas!

I arrived here in Kansas on Thursday night at about 9:30 Central time. We successfully got the U-Haul and my car unloaded. We had issues with U-Haul before we left. We weren't able to pick up the trailer the night before (even though we had it reserved) and so we had to load the trailer at 7:30 A.M. Mountain time. We didn't leave until about 10 A.M. Mountain time.

Friday we spent bringing up boxes and getting the utilities all set up. We also went and found my new elementary school. It looks like a really nice school. I really want to get my room set up. It is probably a good thing that I can't yet though, I REALLY need to work on my apartment.

I said good-bye to my parents this morning, which was really difficult. On top of that, I got a cold! Boo. But I have been slowly unpacking boxes. I have already used an idea off of Pinterest! I'm really excited at how well it worked. I took a piece of tape (Pinterest says to use painter's tape, but I used masking tape and it worked just as well) and I taped it to the back of a dry erase calendar I wanted to hang. I poked holes with a pen where the nails needed to be. Then I took the tape off the back of the calendar and put it on the wall. I used a level to make sure it was level and then I nailed nails into the wall where my holes were. Here is the picture (and link) from Pinterest:

A New Chapter

I have been so excited to move and start my career. Beyond excited. I knew that I would be leaving my loved ones here, but I was thinking about my exciting new adventure.

I just packed up my DVD player, printer and TV and it just hit me. I am leaving home. I will be on my own for the first time in my life with my parents 9 hours away. It didn't fully hit me until I put away my DVD player. I watch movies every night and so I wanted to pack that last. I feel like crying. But I know that's silly. I should still be excited to go. I should be excited that I actually was able to get a job unlike so many people who I graduated with. But all I keep thinking is that this is the last night that I will be sleeping in my room on my bed. I will still be here tomorrow night too, but I will be sleeping on the couch. This might be one of the hardest parts. Leaving home for the first time without the knowledge that you are still dependent on your parents.

Leaving for college was different. I was only an hour away from home. My parents were still supporting me. There was nothing but excitement and the fear of being 30 minutes away from Mike for the first time.

I am so scared.