This post is a sort of companion piece to my latest one about preparing for the new school year. I just had two professional days this week (Wednesday & Thursday), plus two mornings the previous week when I brought my children to help with the classroom setup. Now it's the 4-day weekend before students arrive right after Labor Day!
Missions Accomplished:
It's a gorgeous mild September afternoon, so I'm outta here for now.
- Tacking new posters about historical thinking to the big bulletin board. As predicted, it took me a ridiculously long time to find the big paper rolls for the blue background. What I did not predict was an email two days later from the city Fire Department to warn teachers about strict enforcement of Massachusetts state law 527 CMR 10.09. That regulation limits the percentage of classroom walls that can be covered with flammable material, like bulletin board paper. More on that later....
- Desks and chairs are now in my preferred arrangement. The side rows are slightly diagonal to help students see each other's faces during class discussions. I stick small strips of blue painter tape on the floor tiles to mark the desks' positions, so they can go back in rows if we re-arrange into small groups.
- I left the bookshelves alone. Again. Maybe I'll redo them next year. (Again.)
- Can you see an orange extension cord in the top-right photo, and again on the floor in the bottom-right image? There are no sockets on the wall with the display screen, so how else am I supposed to use an LCD projector?? I could drape a cord between students' desks, but that is just asking for trouble with tripping and disconnection. However, the Fire Department's email also promised to crack down on these "permanent" extension cords. Super. Well, it's gonna stay there until I get a better option.
- See the microwave and coffeemaker near the window? Well, they're gone now. Yet another victim of the Fire Department's zeal and vigilance. All refrigerators must go, too. I understand the goals of safety and perhaps utility costs, but our school's staff lounge is microscopic. No way it can handle the demand of the entire faculty. This will be fun....
- Other tasks I did not remember on August 19 but had to do anyway include:
- Verifying the apportionment of lockers. We're starting a new homeroom/advisory system this year, so some colleagues and I had to spend time counting lockers, checking the broken ones, and making a new list.
- Setting up the projector cart. Things get unplugged and rearranged over the summer. This was extra challenging last week because the elevators were out of service until late Thursday afternoon. I offered to carry my cart up the stairs, but the mere suggestion gave the IT coordinator an aneurysm.
- Un-wobbling several desks and chairs with a screwdriver. I hate that sound!
- Printing out class rosters. Almost forgot about that!
- Typing a list of do's and don'ts for teaching assistants. We got a little time this week to convene with our several TAs about how we can work together. Much better to do this in August before the students arrive! I wrote up a few things to get on record, so I can verify that I did mention this things earlier.
- Polishing the parent letter. I almost made 100 copies but stopped myself to let my wife read it over first. She's an excellent judge of what to say & not to say, especially in writing.
- The grading policy for quiz retakes. 100% no matter how many attempts they need? Keep the same scoring system as the past 2 years (which nobody actually complained about)?
- Finalizing the arrangement of what to do in class each of the next 5 days. I have a list of individual items, but not a definite calendar for which will happen on each day....
It's a gorgeous mild September afternoon, so I'm outta here for now.
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