My Classroom: A Walk-Through

Soooo...I've never introduced you to my classroom. I've had loads of fun in this room and this room holds loads of memories...a student had a seizure and hit a desk when he crashed to the floor, students created a rubber band chain that started in my classroom and went all the way through our commons and to the art hall (many, many feet away). The whole room had to be rearranged when I received my Promethean board. Yes, I have a Promethean board, a chalkboard and a whiteboard. I remember when I only had a chalkboard. We've hidden from intruders in my classroom. Children have shimmied out the window and shimmied in. During Publications we eat lunch in the classroom...when we've been overwhelmed and stressed we've also had group nap-time during lunch. I've made waffles, had "Soul Food" day and eaten many a cake (include my own birthday cake) in this classroom. I have tried to get my husband to kiss me in my classroom...he says he can't, it feels too weird...like a classroom.

All pictures were taken by my dear friend and personal photographer Amanda.

1. Chalkboard that is sometimes used as a corkboard
and my desk as clean as it's going to EVER be during the year.
2. Those are postcards that my niece and I put up about 7 years ago; I just add new places as I go.
Two bookshelves of 'choice read' books...all 731 on Classroom Booksource.
Pictures and magnets from various years of teaching. It's my cozy little area.

1. The bookshelf from behind my desk used to be in this area, now I have a cute little reading area.
I bought the pillows (one of a pig and one of a pineapple) at a garage sale...I only wash them once a year...
There's a  Beatles' poster given to me by a former student, a plagiarism poster, the American Flag for "The Pledge"
and my "Friends" poster I bought in London, England. I don't use the TV...ever.
Oh! and, I was teacher of the week one week last year, nice plaque, right!?
2. Here are the answers to my Monday post. My red lamp is for atmosphere.
On the whiteboard are my agendas for the day, notes from/to students (so I don't forget)
and there are Lila doodles from when we came into the building on Sunday...yes, on Sunday.
3.  If you look at my "We Can Do It" poster, you'll see that Rosie has a red mustache. One year a student used a permanent marker, although he thought it was a Expo marker, to decorate her.

1. Various movie posters (Becoming Jane, Elizabethtown, you can't see V for Vendetta), my homage to my hometown: a poster of Laura Ingalls Wilder, a Rolling Stone's poster of Bono from one of my student's last year and some desks.
2. American authors...Edgar Allen Poe is missing, but I have the raven...where is dear Edgar?
Several years ago I had a 'London pics' poster my college friend made me.
It got destroyed and the students who destroyed it made me a new one.
I also have a poster of Julius Caesar from the RSC, a poster of old Merry England and various pictures I took while in London, many are of The Globe.

1. "Sacred Cows make the tastiest hamburgers." ~Abbie Hoffman
You can't see them, but I have Mulder and Scully Barbie and Ken from a former student and there are various dolls, a moose, a stress Apple mutilated by one Publications staff, a Reese's Beanie Baby bear, The Green M&M and a Jane Austen Action Figure.
2. Globe lamp I got one Christmas from my mother, a picture of Lila when she was two months old, flamingos (read Jennifer Price's essay...it's hella good), a ceramic apple basket that at one time was full of cherry kool-aid--a Christmas present from a student--I love red kool-aid.
3. There are 30 lovely blue desk...these are the new ones, they are not as good as the old ones.
4. My Promethean Board...my pride and joy.

So, that's my room...I hope you enjoyed the tour.

What students want in a teacher...

I've been trying to find more purposeful ways to connect with my students and I found this idea on Pinterest. I can tell that the question is geared towards Elementary or Middle School, but I think that it works really well at high school (telling them to be appropriate and such, of course). Here are the answers that I received:

a challenge

a helper

awesome-sauce-ness

Answers from my honors students...

caring

consistent

doesn’t smoke pot

empathetic

encouraging

fashionable

fun

give and take

gives reasons for deadlines

good handwriting…please!

happy

has good puns

humour

inspiring

instruction

kind

kindness

knowledge and/or wisdom

nice

not exacting

respect

rewards

smart

to have a good time

understanding

I've also put these up in my classroom, so we can look at them all year. I like how a lot of these work for the question: "What kind of student do I want?"