Orientation

First off, the word orientation is a funny word. Especially when you consider the opposite of this word: disoriented. Sitting in a day long orientation can bring up an array of emotions ranging from excitement, gloom, giddiness and boredom.

Typically the purpose of these meetings is to familiarize yourself to your new surroundings. The funny thing is they cram so much information at you within a couple of hours that when you are finally released you feel disoriented.

Here is the information that was graciously given to me yesterday:

Avoid touching blood

Think twice before hugging a kid

Do you want to join the union

Teachers do not have freedom of speech

PPOs & HMOs

Do you want to join the union

Safety first

Each observation is a piece of the puzzle

Do you want to join the union

I will pay someone $5 if they create a "Do you want to join the union" song to the tune of "do you want to build a snowman"

Change

'The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not of fighting the old, but building the new'

-Socrates

Building a new beginning can be intimidating and overwhelming. Where does one begin?

Well as much as I enjoy awkward situations I do not enjoy uncomfortable ones! For the 2012-2013 school year I was debating leaving my school to move to another county and teaching there. I ended up staying at my school for an additional year knowing that I would make the transition at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. The uncomfortable situation dealt with telling my principal that I was leaving. Me wanting to move to a different county was in no way a surprise. It was only a matter of time before I made the move.

 My first mission after telling my principal was to create a kick a** resume. I have never been a fan of the traditional resume. In my opinion your resume should stand out among the rest. Through the help of Craft Pimp that mission was accomplished. She did an outstanding job and was more than patient after each countless change that was suggested. She took my lack of vision and created a resume that made me look pretty good on a piece of paper.

Craft Pimp

Apartaclassroom

When I first moved into my classroom five years ago I already started to dread the day when I would have to move out. Despite the fact that I teach middle school and one subject teaching supplies tend to add up one way or another. Thankfully, a majority of my materials came from Donors Choose. Not to mention there is an overflowing amount of books. 

I've always tried to keep work and home separate. There has been some success with this separation. Every now and then an IEP will need to be worked on or a handful of essays will require editing, but other than that home and school have not spent too much time together. 

Well this summer the two have collided in full force. I not only moved to a new apartment in a different city, but my classroom came along with it.  So now my classroom sits in my apartment waiting to be moved to its new home.

In other news, I was able to get inside my classroom this week.
High five.