Learning all the time

School's not in yet, but that doesn't mean we can't still learn. Now this may not be that interesting to some people, but I learned something new today.

I was watching a program about snakes in Africa, in particular the black mamba, and found out that the scat (poop) of the mamba smells like curry!  Interesting - I did not know that :)

Something we need to remember :

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

-William Butler Yeats

Book Shares / Book Reports

Last year, I did book shares with my students. We did one every 9 weeks. I did both fiction and non-fiction.  Click on the words "book shares" and you will find the documents: there is a rubric included, guidelines as well as book report ideas for the students.

What we do is important.

Children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them makes an impression.

- Haim Ginott

Progress

I've made some progress in my classroom. Went in on Wednesday, and tried to get most of the boxes emptied and put away. Re-arranged the desks to try to fit them in a better way.  I nearly forgot that I still have a bunch of stuff in my van which has been in the shop for 2 weeks .... long story!

Little update about the visa - it was filed this morning and, because the expediency fee was paid, should come through in 15 days (I assume working days). So please continue to keep us in your prayers. I know this is God's will - for me to be here, at this school.

I've added some pictures of the updated classroom. I will continue adding as I change until I have the final version - just before the kids come in.

 The front-left of my class - next to the white board. My desk in the background.

 My area - not that I intend spending a lot of time here, but it's a good place to put my teacher books and store items that I don't want to leave out.

 View from the window to the door.  Textbooks on the far desks in readiness to be handed out. Computer station in back corner. Mailboxes on the cabinets as well as paper/construction paper / plastic pockets, etc.

 This will be the station where students will be able to get scissors, markers, crayons, paper, etc. as well as to find work that they may have missed if they were absent.

Classroom pictures - before and during

So today, I went in to my new classroom.  I've added pictures of the classroom before I starting moving stuff, and what it looked like when I left at the end of the day. I seem to feel it looks worse now than it did the beginning of the day - :)))

Ok, I've emptied quite a few boxes, unpacked some stuff and put it in the cabinets, and put out the desks. My bulletin board is ready to go!  I know I will be changing the desks before school starts, and would love some ideas as to other arrangements.

BEFORE :

                               DURING :

Lonely library shelf!!!

It's all about teaching AND learning

Starting a new school year, at a new school. Very exciting!  Many changes, and many things to learn. There is going to be a new curriculum to learn; new routines to learn; new people to meet; new students to share with. I'm excited, and a little nervous!  I want to use this site to post the daily things (or weekly if  I can't keep up) that I encounter, and that I learn from.  I want to post pictures of my classroom so that I can look back and see how things have progressed!  It's going to be a good year :)

One of the the upcoming challenges is completing the transfer of my visa to my new school. We have just about a month left before the school year begins for teachers, and it has to be through by then. I am trusting that God will continue to have His hand on this process, as He already has.