I am working in the West Jefferson School District again this year. I love where I work, who I work with, the kids I teach, and the administration. I'm very happy to be employed there. I even got a raise this year, which is a fun bonus, and I get to teach 2nd grade again with the same team teacher I worked with last year, which is an incredible blessing. There are so many positive aspects of my job...but there are some drawbacks to the job I have, too. I live 2 hours from my home in Salmon, I miss my husband, I miss being a together family, and I miss my house. It hasn't been easy living apart; I'm constantly having a battle in my mind debating the pros and cons of our current living situation, but the scenario always ends the same: I'm where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to do, at this point in my life. I have no idea what the long-term plan is for Josh and I and our family (job- and location-wise), but I do know that for now, this is what's right (albeit challenging).
It was very stressful last summer, getting ready to move, getting what I needed for my apartment and classroom, and doing it on a very tight, very low budget (D.I. and online classifieds were my lifeline). I basically spent most of August in Terreton--I worked for two WEEKS in my classroom trying to get everything ready prior to the start of school in the third week of the month.
In contrast, this summer was much more relaxing. I did projects in our home in Salmon, I didn't worry about furnishing my apartment (I paid rent through the summer and left all my stuff in Terreton), and I only spent two and a half DAYS working in my classroom getting it ready. I wasn't totally ready when school started on Wednesday, August 22, but I wasn't overly stressed about it because I knew others weren't totally ready either (the classrooms across the hall from me got remodeled over the summer, and the carpet didn't get installed until the day before school started, so things were still trying to get put back together in their rooms).
I kept the same theme "Rise Up" (which coincidentally the PTO also started as their school theme this year, too!), I used the same decorations, and kept most of the layout and walls in my room the same, with a few minor changes. I decided to arrange my desk area a different way to better accommodate the students during lockdown drills, and rearranged the small reading area with books in a slightly different way to open up the space more. I also added a "building zone" at the kiva, and organized the books on the shelves in a different way that was more efficient. I was very happy with the result! I love being in my classroom--it's like my second home, so I try to make it as colorful and organized as possible so that it's a place I want to spend my time all day every day in!
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| My class bulletin board above my students' backpack hooks in the hall by my door. |
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I measure their heights on the first day of school,
and again on the last day of school and do
a comparison for how much they grew!
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| The mailboxes, computer stations, and word wall when you first walk in. |
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Kiva with "building" supplies, calendar wall for morning meeting, and book
display for the weekly-themed books in the northwest corner of the room.
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Wowee Wow Wow Wall to display their best work weekly, reading nook with
pillows, book shelves separated by theme/author/and reading level, and math fact
fluency chart on the north wall of the room.
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My small group table, class behavior reward chart, and reading log balloon
bulletin board in the northeast corner of the room.
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I have two dry erase boards in the front of the class, and two in the back of the
class. Most of the instruction is done in front with a projector on the left side,
and my daily instructions and schedule on the right side.
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All the games (for inside recess and math centers) are under the black table.
The black table is next to my desk and houses the daily instruction files, the
turn-it-in tub, the document camera, and other items I need daily. It is the hub
of the things I need/use most often. In the back corner is the A.R. rising chart, and
my closet which houses seasonal items, rewards, and crafting supplies.
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This year my desk is in an L-shape adjacent to the black table. Last year it was
parallel with it, and the large filing cabinet was in front of it, blocking the view
of my desk from the entrance. I did that so that I wouldn't want to sit at my desk. It
worked well, but then I found there were times when I was at my desk that my view
was obstructing some of my students, too, so I decided to change it. I like it this way!
Next to my desk on the brown shelf is art supplies for students to use during free
time. They were on the counter by the sink last year, but I moved them so they would
be in a more central location for the students.
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I love these updated cabinets on the south wall of the room! They house
reading supplies, reading games, math supplies, math manipulatives,
art supplies, science and social studies stuff, and student supplies. I also moved
the fridge and microwave to the counter top to be more accessible rather than
behind my desk like they were last year. The large table is where an aide helps
small groups at reading and math time, and where I randomly work with students.
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A view of the classroom from my desk
(I change the layout of the student's desks monthly).
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| A view of the classroom from the entrance. |
Jonah and Micah opted to attend school in Salmon this year; they are freshmen at the Salmon Jr/Sr High School (they started two weeks after WJ). Kanyon is going to school with me in West Jefferson. He started 6th grade on the 22nd. The Junior High is in the same school as the elementary, but they are on different schedules, and are in a different hall, so it's very nice to have him in the same school as me, but still having the teenagers separated from the younger children. He got to have a locker this year for the first time, so the day before school started, I took him to find his locker and he practiced the combination several times until he got it really well. As a 6th grader, he is on the Junior High Schedule. He goes to band the last hour of the day, has a flexible first hour for electives, and rotates between 2 teachers for his four core subjects of math, reading, science, and social studies/technology. He is playing an instrument for the first time, and chose to play the trombone. He is doing so well at it!
He struggled last year going to a new school, with new classmates, new teachers, and new surroundings, but he is doing SO well this year! He loves his teachers Mrs. Morton and Mrs. Lerwill, he has several friends, he participated in the fall team sport of cross country, and he's doing well academically and socially! It has made the decision to be here so much easier, knowing that he's happy and well-adjusted.
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| Standing next to his locker on the first day of 6th grade |
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Kanyon and his best bud Jackson at the
first XC meet of the season in Rexburg
2 days after school started.
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| He's learning to play the trombone this year. |
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