One day more....

Can you hear Jean Valjean and the cast of "Les Mis" belting this out?  I can!  I just can't find a picture that I can put on here.  Bummer.

Today is day 179, so that means one more day left to school year 2010-11.  (Insert smile and deep heavy sigh here.)

My classroom is a model of organized chaos as I pack everything (and I mean everything, down to the last colored paper clip).   I don't know where I'm going yet--either down to the basement (troll!) or somewhere on my current floor.  I get an office next year and lose my classroom, and I still don't know how I feel about that.  I mean, I have some great classroom decorations that will have to go into storage or get plastered in the tiny office....sombreros, wall hangings, posters, postcards, gifts from kids who have traveled to places like Spain, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Mexico...I have way too much stuff.  The file cabinet alone fills 7 boxes.

I think it's a little known secret that teachers are in fact closet hoarders when it comes to school stuff.  I literally am afraid to throw things out, and probably have at least 2 paper copies of everything I use.  I think it comes from never knowing from year to year if there will be money for new stuff, so we cling to all the old stuff, no matter how old.  I checked out one office that I might end up in tomorrow, and the previous occupant left a few full drawers in the desk and file cabinets.  He told me that the stuff was there when he moved in at least 7 years ago and that he never got around to touching it.  Really?  More deep heavy sighing here.

I also have a ton of materials from teaching Spanish 1, 2 and 3;  someday I might have to teach them again, so I can't possibly throw them out yet.  Even though it's been three years since I taught Spanish 1. My fake food, menus, Barbies and Kens can't go anywhere.  Just in case.

Next year I have a new position, something different and unscripted apparently.  I get to be what is being called a "lead teacher" or "teacher leader", depending on who you're talking with...the idea is that I get to teach two classes (and they are both AP!) and spend the rest of my time doing department stuff, like working with new teachers and counting books.  It will be a change, and hopefully let me see what life is like on the other side of the classroom door.  Not sure what side I want to be on down the road, but this will be a good way (I hope) to find out.  Basically, it's a position that was created because there wasn't enough money in the budget to reinstate a full-time department head.  I won't do evaluations.

However, I might have to come in on Wednesday to find my new space and move stuff...and of course clean it.  So now it's almost 5pm, and I've had enough.  Homeward bound to collapse.  At least my grades are done.

"One more dawn, one more day, one day more!"
followed by
"Summer summer summer time...time to sit back and unwind..."