TIRED!

I am SO tired tonight. Tomorrow I start at the high school, teaching 11th and 12th grade literature and a study skills class. Before I left my current junior high position, I prepared lesson plans for the whole year with detailed calendars for novel studies and the whole thing. I did this because the young teacher coming in to replace me is a first-timer in junior high. She's subbed a lot, taught younger children, but never done junior high. I happen to believe in this young lady and really want her to succeed. I'll be working with her for the rest of this year in a mentor-teacher relationship. I've invested a ton of time and energy preparing for her success.

This afternoon, I walked across the parking lot to the high school and began working in my classroom. There was far more stuff in there than I expected. The former teacher is coming by tomorrow so I'm going to talk with her to see what needs to be done with all this old work/projects/stuff. I love using kids' work in a classroom, but once they're out of the school, graduated, I don't actually see the point of keeping their old work. It may be that the former teacher was emotionally attached to these students and couldn't bring herself to throw their stuff away. I get that and will gladly perform the task for her if that is necessary. I do not like clutter in my classroom! I had to take all the chairs off the tables so I could see the room and get a sense of what I want to do with it. Then my hubby and I started taking things off the walls and cleaning up in general. It will be good to get the physical part completed so I can finish my lesson planning. I need to be ready to go on Friday morning, first thing. I really am looking forward to it. I don't think I mentioned that these students were my first group of junior highers! Now they're juniors/seniors. Wow! Where does the time go! Like now... it's after 10 and I'm tired and sore from working so late. Bed... I'm coming!