Highlights of Summer + First Weeks of School

Why the month of no posting? You probably could have guessed. School started. And may I say TGIF?! The first few weeks are hard. New students, new expectations, new curriculum, new year. Before I get too far into the start to school, I want to share some highlights from the summer.

We spent time in Galveston, in Dallas, going out with friends, having reunions, celebrating weddings, serving the inner-city, playing/watching softball, and spent lots of time with family. It was really a great summer. But, as all summers do, it came to an end far too quickly.

The end of the summer brought the beginning of school. The first week back was full of setting up my classroom and attending staff development and planning for the year. I had told myself that I didn't need to make any changes to my classroom decor, but once I stepped foot in there, I couldn't help myself. I started by updating my bulletin boards to keep up with the constantly-updating apps.

One for birthdays, one for studying tips, one for reminders, and one for housing those dear iPhones (that all the middle schoolers have) and graphing calculators.

A few other new things were added this year, because once I started, I just couldn't stop. So, a few more pictures to pull it all together for you!

 For two weeks now, those empty desks have been full. Oh so full. Full of life and laughter and energy--teenagers. And this bright-eyed, year-3 teacher is exhausted. These teenagers are hard work sometimes. They are thirteen going on thirty, so impressionable, and it's wonderful and scary all at the same time. They can so easily fall for temptation. I pray every day that they don't. I pray that they stay young and pure and use their youth to set an example for others.

I pray 1 Timothy 4:12 over them every day. I pray that they enjoy their time in middle school and don't look back one day with regret. I am so thankful for my job and for the kids I get to teach each day.

Happy beginning of school!

Classroom Bulletin Boards

The countdown is now at 3 days. Wow! This summer really flew by. I have been up at the school all week with all the other teachers for Staff Development. Today was our last work day before kids come Monday, but let's be real... I'll be there tomorrow, too. My to-do lists (yes, plural) seem endless. When I cross off one thing, I seem to add at least two more. That being said, I am very excited about my new classroom, and I am excited to reveal a little bit more of it.

My Technology/App-themed bulletin boards...

The Instacram and iCal boards are inside my classroom, and the Notes board is right outside my classroom and is a place to put schedules, tutorials, etc. For each of the boards, I backed them in black butcher paper and then with black burlap. Since burlap has holes, I didn't want the board to be seen through, hence the butcher paper behind it. For the borders, I used a thick (probably 3 inch) burlap ribbon. My hopes are that they do not get worn and torn as quickly as paper borders do. The apps in each of the corners were painted by yours truly in attempt to recreate the apps we all (including my students) know and love to use on a daily basis. The Instacram was penciled on white poster board and then cut and glued on blue poster board. All the contents on the boards are laminated, again in hopes of preventing wear and tear, but we'll see how they hold up all year.

I have also been very good about trying to link-up when ideas come from another source. This idea, however, came to me one morning while driving home from church. I must have been praying for good classroom ideas that morning. I wanted the boards to have some sort of theme, and the goal was to have something that they could relate to, so hopefully this theme has accomplished that goal.

There will be more to come on classroom specifics and the first week of school soon. Happy Friday! :)