Teaching makes me so busy!!!! Last week I had some fun going with 8th grade to Genesee Valley. I signed up to go because these were my first year 6th graders, so I thought it would be fun (and it was... more to come later). That was on Wednesday... on Friday, was the 6th grade all-day trip to Camp Letts. This is where I proceeded to lead the nature hike 8 times: one mile down the hill and through the salt marsh and one mile back up the hill. That means I hiked the equivalent of a marathon in one day... and yes, even though I am young, I certainly paid for it the next day! (more to come)
Anyway, I decided to write this post because I am way too wiped out to do anything else (namely clean) (reasons for tiredness to come...)
I just thought maybe I had you all fooled with my early post with my classroom pictures. Maybe I fooled you into thinking that I am super neat and organized, that my classroom runs smoothly 100% of the time...
Well.... if that is the case, these pictures will show you the REAL Ms. Walker and her REAL room (which I am not ashamed of in the slightest!)
Here's my desk, covered in papers to be graded, papers that have been graded, miscellaneous "important" papers from the front office, and of course the evidence of the much-needed caffeine and water fixes from the day.
My front board - full of SO many different things!:
* the objective and homework
* the schedule
* the date
* my clean-up chart for our current project
* Notice the bottom corner of the first board... the score of the drama game. :)
My overhead cart sans my projector... covered in remnants of our class project, my sample project, tools, and of course... coffee? (please don't judge me...hahahaha) Oh and the cell phone I found in the hallway this afternoon.
Cabinets/shelves covered in anything I can set on them and walls covered in student work... and hey! the clock that finally got a new battery so that is not perpetually stuck on 11:45! :)
Covered in bookbags
I let the art club stash their stuff in my room on Wednesdays because there are SO many kids in art club that the kids plus their stuff would leave no room for art. Our art teacher is arguably the best and coolest (and one of my close friends) and I love those kids, so I joyfully house their stuff (plus that means I get to see them before and after art club to catch up on their lives... which I love).
I don't see my room as messy or disorganized - I can usually find something very easily thanks to my visual memory! I don't see it as haphazard or chaotic (ok, maybe chaotic sometimes, but joyful chaos). I don't see it as something to be ashamed of or feel embarrassed about.
I remember bringing in one of my most beloved stuffed animals in for show and tell one day in pre-school. Someone commented on how dirty and "ugly" it looked. This, of course, upset 4-year-old Me. But my teacher said, "It's not dirty or ugly... it is loved." Bethany Dillon once said "Some things are loved because they are worthy, some things are worthy because they are loved." I see my classroom as loved... it is lived (and learned) in! This mess is not mess but discovery and creativity. I work so hard to build an environment that is safe and comforting to all students. If that means some disorganization on my part, so be it! We function perfectly well and we like it here. I love my classroom. I look around it and I can picture my students' faces and the things we do here. Sometimes it blows my mind that God would allow me in on such a cool thing as helping students grow and learn here.
Oh I forgot one of my students' current favorite classroom inhabitant!
Our potato! In the beginning of the year we did an activity with potatoes (ask me later if you want to know about it). Anyway, we kept one to see what would happen, like an experiment. We wanted to see if it would rot or start growing things. Well, it is starting to get softer, but it IS GROWING THINGS! They run in and check it.. our "potato update". You can see the small green buds on the spud. Maybe I can update with more pictures as things progress! (M... you can't even blog on a regular basis... Shhh brain! We have to set goals here! OK, ok, M.)
Anyway, here is the real me - messy, seemingly disorganized... and growing things from rotten vegetation. :)
See you soon? I hope so.. I have so much to say... just not always the time. :)
6 comments:
When did chalkboards become BROWN? sadddd!
Meg!!
I was just thinking today that I hoped you would update soon!! :-)
I'm sooo happy you love teaching so much. Your kids are so lucky!! And I LOVED the pics of your room. And I loved everything you wrote about making a safe atmosphere. You're so cool.
Do you know the Velveteen Rabbit quote about being loved? "...When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real. It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.'"
i love you!!!
HAHA! My first thought was the same as Amy's... Aren't they called BLACKboards?
I just LOVE the "real" Meghan. And I totally agree with Emily, those students are so blessed to have you as a teacher/mentor. I know God is smiling (or snorting!) when He sees what you are doing with the gifts He's given you!
love you meg :) i like updates on your life!!
Meghan,
I already know what is going to happen with the potato (before the end of the year) Just a warning that at some point you are going to walk into your room and think "what smells in here!!" Look to the potato.
I know I've done it a million times with potatoes and everytime I think what could that awful smell be -- I now always look to the bag of forgotten potatoes!!
Take care and write more soon. Its the only news I get from you guys since your Mom doesn't write emails too often.
Aunt Linda
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