I know it has definitely been awhile since my last blog
post, but it has been a race to the finish line with getting everything ready
for the first day of school, WHICH IS TOMORROW!!!!!! It still shocks me that I am about to embark
on my second year of teaching; however, I can confidentially say it’s going to
be a great year, and I am beyond excited to get it started.
One of the reasons for why I am so excited to be starting
this school year is because I have one room that I am in that I share with
another teacher. Last year my classroom had four wheels and three shelves,
which I now look at as a very fortunate experience to have during my first year
of teaching. I look at last year as a complete learning experience that made
me a stronger teacher because being on a cart taught me more than I imagined as
I established myself as a first-year teacher fresh out of college. I didn’t have the time, money, or the experience
of knowing what I needed for an entire room just two days before the school
year started. After spending a year in
and out of classrooms throughout, I gained the knowledge of what I wanted and
what the kids needed for when I had a classroom of my own.
Top 5 Tips for Teachers on a Cart:
5. Just go with it.
Chances are the reason you are on a cart is because your school has more
teachers than they do rooms and that is something that no one can control
(especially you). You have to come to
terms with the fact early on that no one in your building thinks that it is an
awesome idea to have teachers on a cart because it just isn’t. With that being
said, you need to stop wondering how in the world you are going to do your job
on a cart and just do it. Once you
realize that it isn’t a punishment and start teaching you will be much more
successful, and happier.
4. Pick and choose
your battles with the cart. One thing to
definitely keep in mind is that it is a cart, not a room. I made this mistake multiple times last year
because, I would put anything and everything on my cart that I thought I might
need, and this caused problems, because the clutter will just kept building up.
3. Don’t be afraid to
ask for some space in the classroom that you are teaching in. This can be difficult sometimes (especially
as a first year teacher who doesn’t want to step on any toes), but remember,
you are the one entering the classroom, and at the end of the day, you are
sharing a space with another teacher, which means you should be a part of that
room as well since your students will be learning too.
2. Find an organizational technique that works for you. Whether you have one prep or three (like I
did), finding the correct way to organize your cart is key to having a
successful year on wheels. Personally, I
used one bin for completed work. The bin
had a folder for each of my classes and the only work that went in the bin was
work that was ready to be graded. The
bin didn’t take up a lot of space, so it was perfect.
1. And finally, the
number one tip that I have for a mobile teacher--Have fun with it. You might be dreading being on a cart, but
the more positive your attitude is during your time wheeling around the halls,
the better the experience will be as a whole and the better your teaching will
be. I definitely recommend decorating
your cart so it becomes more personal.
Another reason I am excited to start off the school is
because you are now looking at one of the after school activities coordinators for
the 2014-2015 school year. I am beyond
excited to be starting this leadership journey because if you were to ask me
what are my favorite things about my school, our after school activity program
is on my top three (along with the technology we have and our amazing staff). I am so happy to not only be a part of the
after school program, but also share the leadership role for the program with a
great teacher in the building as well.
I’m going to end this post with a poem that I received from
a fellow teacher this weekend. I hope you all have a fantastic year!
"Twas the Night Before School Started"
Twas the night before school started
when all through the town
the parents were cheering
it was a riotous sound.
By eight the kids were washed
and tucked into bed
when memories of homework
filled them with dread.
New pencils, new folders, new notebooks too,
new teachers, new friends, the anxiety grew.
The parents just giggled when they heard of this fright
and shouted upstairs-GO TO BED-IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!
Twas the night before school started
when all through the town
the parents were cheering
it was a riotous sound.
By eight the kids were washed
and tucked into bed
when memories of homework
filled them with dread.
New pencils, new folders, new notebooks too,
new teachers, new friends, the anxiety grew.
The parents just giggled when they heard of this fright
and shouted upstairs-GO TO BED-IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!
- Author: Unknown
