Aching For The Classroom

I want to teach; I need to teach! I've found sooo much inspiration this summer, so many new and wonderful and creative ideas that I desperately need to try out in a classroom. Granted, if someone handed me a classroom right now I would be feeling a combination of excitement and pure terror...but I NEED to get back in a classroom. It's just one of those things I can't live without. My life functions better when I'm around children, when I'm teaching, active, and engaged. I'm happier, and I definitely learn something every day...the students make sure of that.

Teaching is the one thing that unites the five-year-planner and the free-spirit. I get the organization and structure but also the creativity and the flexibility. I have discovered that organization in the classroom doesn't have to be blah, boring, and utilitarian. It can be anything you want it to be! It can be creative, festive, brightly-colored, and quirky (if that's the way you want it). I realized that, just looking around the classroom, every teacher is sharing a piece of him or herself. They are sharing their memories, experiences, and personality. They are creating a learning environment...a place where they feel comfortable and where their students feel comfortable learning. The easiest way to do that is to be yourself and make sure your classroom reflects that, and reflects that your students are an important part of your life.

That having been said, there is a distinct possibility that I will have my classroom designed well before I get that little piece of paper stating that I'm allowed to teach in the state of Ohio...or have a job for that matter. I may have hall passes made, filing systems in place, binders organized, spreadsheets created...and spruced up clipboards ready to be filled with lists, charts, and lesson plans. I'll use that as incentive to finish my cleaning and something to do this summer before school starts and I can get back in a classroom!