It's a beautiful boa constrictor named Rod. He belongs to my housemate Randy. Someday I'll actually tell you about the move, but let's start with the classroom. I probably spend more time there anyway. Last year, as much as I loved my old classroom, I requested to move rooms. I had two requests: a window and a bigger room. I still don't have a window, but my new classroom is much bigger. This summer, I used to the fact that I was moving as a reason to spend a much more time and money than I had before to decorate and set up my room. Here's a few overview pictures.
If you're not a teacher, you might not notice, but those are bigger, newer, sturdier desks than my old classroom had. My old room wouldn't have fit 40 of these babies, it barely fit 40 of the little rickety ones. Not only that, but the room is big enough for me to have set up the desks in my favorite (so far) configuration, rows of pairs.
Zooming in to look at specific elements of my room, this bulletin board has been in the plans since my first year of teaching. I finally have a bulletin board dedicated to letting my students get to know me. It's got pictures of my family, my childhood, my crazy hairstyles, and my various adventures.
Next, we have the trophies. Since graduating from high school, my trophies from high school debate, mock trial, and elementary school spelling bees have gathered dust a variety of places. They've lined the top of bookcases at my parents' house, opposite of my sister's collection of similar trophies, and later they were packed into a box to be stored in my bedroom closet back home, right next to my junior year prom dress. A few years ago, I almost took them all to the trophy shop to be cannibalized for spare parts. However, last year I started a debate class. Now the trophies are proudly displayed along the top of my cupboards.
When my debaters ask if I've ever debated, or if I've ever won a round, I just point to them. They're still gathering dust, but now they're gathering dust with purpose, which is about all you can hope for high school trophies.
Next to the trophies is this sign.
I inherited it from a teacher who left year. She though long and hard about who to give it to, and decided that I fit the profile. I was truly flattered.
Another addition to my classroom this year, is this framed poster from postertext. I found on a google offer just before school started and fell in love.
It's the entire text of Grimm's Fairy Tales, with a beautiful representation of Red Riding Hood and her wolf shaped from the words themselves. I use Little Red Riding Hood for an example for about 300 different concepts, and I knew I wanted this picture from the moment I saw it.
Of course, no classroom of mine is complete without my pirate flag. I bought it my first year of teaching, and it's hung over my desk in three different classrooms at two different schools.
You'll notice that in front of the flag, floating over my desk are a small flock of paper cranes. These represent books I've read this year. In fact, I have cranes all over, some for decoration, some for motivation. I challenged my students to read 40 books this year, over several genres, and for every book they read, they fold a paper crane as well. Books that are 400 pages or more count for two, and so far we have put together an impressive amount of paper cranes. The school year is only one quarter over, and I have over three hundred. So far my students have responded well to this, and it's been a great way to see how much they've read. Each color of crane corresponds to a different class. I even give my students small paper cranes folded from fancy paper on their birthdays.
Here are cranes for decoration:
Here are cranes for the books they've read:
This is my desk at the end of the term, or it would be my desk, if it weren't covered in paper.
Look! The teacher next door came in and offered me a donut! I win!
