This Is How We Do It

First official teacher day since summer's gone. This does not include the other teacher days this summer. Like the Monday teacher day. Today was first day back in my building. The historically significant building at my historically significant school where I am so very proud to teach.

Spent the morning convocating and then team building. I lunched across the curriculum, outside my comfort zone, to make friends with other teachers. We had incredible chicken wings and even MORE incredible fries. The Eastern Indian Spanish teacher was a scream disecting the flavors involved in the BBQ suace. I thought I was the most rebellious teacher, but then I was corrected by THE most rebellious teacher.

After lunch, right when we were getting to the "WHAT YOU'LL BE TEACHING" part, I was called to "central office" to get more hours of paperwork completed. Again. But it was all good as it gave me opportunity to go to the FREE STUFF FOR TEACHER'S STORE.

Which is where we get to the title.

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT

There's a "store" at my district. Teachers can go there once per semester. Area businesses donate to this "store." We get lots of odds and ends, leftover marketing propoganda, old notebooks, out-of-date posters and you get the idea. I had an empty truck and nothing but time (well, an hour really).

I left with a backpack, a bag, notebook paper, copy paper, old computer paper (the kid with the dots on the end...what were those printers???), laminate, leftover museum of art posters, some fuzzy wall hearts, lots of hand-me-down three ring binders, some wooden blocks, some glitter, ONE dry erase marker, pencils and TENNIS BALLS. Not enough tennis balls to do my whole classroom, but enough to handle the really lopsided desks.

I got to guide those first year teachers with the following Q and A:

Q-How much of this do I need/want/make fit?
A-AS MUCH AS THEY WILL LET YOU TAKE

Q-What can I do with this?
A-LOTS OF THINGS! TAKE IT TAKE IT TAKE IT!

Q-How do I get the supplies I need?
A-BEG, BORROW, STEAL! YOU'RE THE TEACHER NOW, DAWG!

Teachers only have to learn that once. Free? For my classroom? Yes please! And can I have more?

Now for good part/bad part. Monkey and I do this everyday. Tell one good thing from your day, one bad thing from your day and one thing you did to help someone else.

Good Part-I have the journalism class! And I already have potential partners!!!!!!! And THIS TEACHER (that cute chick over on the left) KICKS BUTT at this!

Bad Part-My paperwork was not ready. But I had a contract ready! And that's another good part. OH. And my son, on his first full day all by himself, slept until four. He's lost his cell phone for the night and owes me physical labor for that. Good thing he got rested before we start moving this classroom in tomorrow!

Something I did to help someone else-Told those teachers to BEG. BORROW. STEAL. And told the new teachers how FABULOUS they will be. I'm good at supporting others. I'll count on y'all throwing that back at me when I might feel less the kick-butt teacher this year.

This is how we do it. Today was a good day. But I'm still missing my Dave Matthews Band tonight. Tomorrow night may be Dave in the backyard with blue Christmas lights night.