I’ve spent the last two mornings working in my classroom. We only get one teacher workday before school starts to work in our rooms. So, I’ve decided to start early. Contractually our first day isn’t until August 11, and many of my coworkers will not be in to work until then. I don’t know how they do it. I take forever to get my room set up. Especially on years like this one, where we had to box up and remove everything because they installed fire sprinklers in our building. So yesterday my room looked like this.
So sad and BORING. I don’t do boring. I spend half of my life each year (at least) in my classroom, so I make sure that it is lovely and inviting, and my “too cool” 8th graders LOVE IT. I always get compliments from them on my room and how welcoming and comfortable it is. I also, never have the same design for more than a year. This year, I decided to center on a theme of black, cream, gray, and Tiffany blue (yes girlie! It’s my room!). Of course there will plenty of pink added in, but I wanted to keep my backdrops more neutral to display student work and put up quotes, posters, etc. Yesterday I moved my desk to its spot and set up all my technology (good thing I color coded everything). I also unpacked my books and realized that I definitely need to bring in more books from home. I have a ton in my garage, and I inevitably lose at least 15% of my classroom books every year when students borrow them and don’t bring them back. I tell myself that they “loved the book so much they kept it” and it will be in a good home. That’s what I tell myself so that I don’t get upset over the loss every year. My bookshelf definitely needs help. I do teach language arts after all. I also have plans for some sort of “flag” inspired by this project from Quilt Dad. I’m thinking of doing a “Hunger Games” district 12 theme for the flag since that is our 8th grade novel this year. I want to hang it over the book-case, since the ceilings are so high.
Today, I worked on my bulletin board. I like to use wrapping paper to cover them, because there is so much awesome wrapping paper today. I got all of my paper from Target this year. They still look sad because there is nothing else on them and I have to add borders, but I”m loving the Chinese paper lanterns over the black and white polka dot!
I love this last paper. I put it on the board in the back of my classroom. It has gold GLITTER on it! I love glitter. Now there is gold glitter all over the carpet too. It looks better than the icky stains that cover it from 40 years of use.
I plan on getting a carpet for my gathering area in the front of the classroom. Yes, I sit on the floor with 8th graders! It’s part of my workshop model. Anywho, I also started another quilt. Let me say right off the bat, this one is not for sale. I’m using a great pattern from Fig Tree Quilts that my mom and dad gave me. It uses a jelly roll and I’ve been saving one from Kate Spain in her “Verna” line. I love the colors of this one. First I sewed 40 of these together.
Then I cut them into these.
And now I’m sewing them into these, with some white in between each pinwheel.
Lots to do!!
A Dilettante of Fruition 