A Teacher's Daze

"Moving on up...." "My 'Teacher's Space'" This is a simple canvas of city lights that I enhanced by using an old desk lamp with a bendable neck.  It's perfect to spotlight this scene! Growing up watching the sitcom, The Jeffersons, I couldn't help but think of this song when creating my "Big City View" or "Going Places" theme for my middle school classroom.  In fact, the theme song to this sitcom has been stuck in my head, for days.  :-D...  I find myself singing "Moving on up/ to the East side...... I finally got a piece of the pie...."  If you aren't familiar with the show, then it is hard to imagine why this song fits perfectly with the underlying idea behind this classroom theme. First, I have to admit something.  I didn't start out thinking, "Okay, I'm going to create a theme that shows big skyscrapers, bright city lights, and famous places across the world."  Actuall

                                My Teacher's Space Motto:   "KEEP CALM and TEACH ON"                                                   "Get ready, get set....." Teachers spend weeks before school starts preparing because when the bell sounds and students start pouring into the classroom, there is no time to "get ready."  It's full speed ahead!     After spending the last two weeks of summer vacation, walking up and down two flights of stairs, carrying armloads of school supplies and decorations, as well as balancing a head full of ideas collected from Pinterest and teacher blogs over the summer, I'm certain it isn't a dream because surely I would have awakened by now, right? Getting back into the everyday routine of "back to school" is not only hard for students, but often , it is a time of uncertainty and anxiety for teachers , as well.  The frustrations teachers face are diverse from year to year and from place t