Back to the Classroom: Setting Up Day 1

Archive from The Teacher Triathlete, August 8, 2016

After two years of traveling between 8 schools, coaching/teaching/conferring/observing/LEARNING in over 100 classrooms, and calling a desk my home, I followed my heart back to the classroom! I am just thrilled to say that I am now a full time staff member at Lucille Nixon Elementary School.  More specifically, I am a fifth grade classroom teacher. I am so excited to return to my true love, my calling, my home away from home- the classroom! 

Like all classroom teachers on their first day of setting up the room after summer break, especially setting up in a new-to-me classroom, I can honestly say that I am physically and mentally beat.  My head is swollen with a million ideas, my legs, feet, and shoulders are throbbing, and my fingers are stained with permanent marker. However, my heart could not be more full. I am back where I belong. I am back in the classroom!  

Over the weekend, I came up with the idea to write about my day by day journey back into the classroom. However, due to my current state of pure exhaustion colliding with my nature of documenting and sharing my journey as an educator, rather than presenting a Pinterest-worthy display of photos and witty remarks, I’m going to give you the real deal. Here it is in all its unedited, unposed, #nofilter glory!  Here’s what it really looks like to set up a classroom after a few years away… 

Back to the Classroom! Setting Up, Day 1

By the Numbers

• Time of arrival: 10:00AM
• Time of Departure: 6:03PM
• Time for Lunch: 15 minutes of quickly scarfing down food with my extremely helpful and kind grade level partner, Stacey 
• Money Spent at Target: $160
• Steps Recorded by Fitbit: 13,808 (6.2 miles) Keep in mind, there were no extra walks, runs, or anything of the sort.
• Furniture Moved & Boxes Unpacked: Umm… who knows! Too many to track.
• Days Until Students Arrive: 8