Clean Slate

Howdy friends!

Today was a HUGE day because I got to set foot in my very first classroom!!! Last night, I asked my department head when she thought I would be able to get into my classroom and she said whenever I like! I was shocked because for the past few days, it has felt like I have just been sitting around waiting for things to happen. Needless to say, I was very excited/nervous...basically I was a rollercoaster of emotions this morning while I was on my way to school.

When I walked into the building-things felt different. After all, this was the first time I walked into the school as a true blue teacher! My department head took me to my room and as I walked in the door I couldn't help but think that this room was all mine and that amazing things were going to happen inside.

It took about an hour and half to unload all the materials and supplies from my car. Crazy how my car looked like a clown car, stuffed to the brim, then when it was in the room it didn't seem like enough. So I sat down for a second and looked at my pile of stuff wondering where I should begin. My department head some work to tend to so I was left alone in my room for awhile. If you have never set up your own classroom or helped a friend set up theirs, it is a lot of work and it is really overwhelming.

I decided to start with the shelves I bought for behind my desk. All of a sudden, I felt really helpless-like I had no idea what I was doing. This is when I finally broke down and cried. I had so many emotions running through me that I didn't know what to do with myself. I called my Dad and he promised to come down to College Station and help me get everything together. This calmed my nerves a little bit and I was able to finally put together the shelves (which is a feat in itself because I am terrible with tools). I stood back and looked at my work. After two hours, all I had to show for my hard work was some wobbly, uneven shelves. Great. This is going to take wayyyyyy longer than I thought.

From this point on, I decided to start small and be as optimistic as possible. So, here are a few pictures of what my classroom looked like before I touched anything and a sneak peek at what I have done so far...

This is the view from standing at the back of the classroom:

This is the view from standing in front of the window (I am so excited to have a window!!!):

This is the view from the door:

This is my door after I added some flair-shout out to Kendall for helping me paint the letters!:

Like I said, the room is NO WHERE NEAR finished but I am very excited about what little progress I made today. This process is very overwhelming, as my fellow teachers know. More pictures to come!

On a different note, here are some pictures of my precious baby, Hank. When I first brought him home from the shelter-I wasn't sure if adopting a dog was the right decision. I still really miss my first dog, Molly, and I wasn't sure if I was up for the responsibility. Ohhh how I was wrong. This little guy has stolen my heart.

Thanks for reading-more pictures to come tomorrow!