My classroom door is the official entry into my world. I try to make it pleasant and welcoming with a colorful "Ms. Jahn" and posters and window stickers that change with the seasons.
When my students enter room 221, they look to make sure it's me and not a substitute teacher (Yeah, right!) and...
...then they look to the whiteboard to see this week's assignments as they take their assigned seats.
Once every day, we have morning announcements over the closed-circuit television. We all participate in the all school "I pledge allegiance to the United States..." pledge, while I take attendance and we get started.
As you can see the room is pretty consumer friendly if you like bright colors and lots of think to look at when you need to stare into space for the great thought or two before you get to work.
I have to sets of bean bags and ottomans with some pillows for independent reading, studying and relaxing into the work that needs to be done. They have to ask permission to work in this inclined posture. But some kids work better being comfortable and on the floor.
This was actually Monday and most of the students were finishing up their All Quiet on the Western Front essay tests and/or completing their worksheets due on AQWF with their tests.
Unfortunately, this was me interrupting them to ask if anyone else needed to borrow a novel from the cabinet because they left their copy at home or in their locker. Sound familiar, huh?
And this is my middle table of boys, who quite often get into it over "who's right and who's wrong". I don't usually enter in unless it get too involved and name-calling starts or if they aren't suppose to be talking at all in the first place. Ha! Ha! Like that stops them much.
Look, with fifteen or so minutes left I'm trying to tell them something important before they finish up, turn in their work, and get ready to leave. See, how one out of three are actually paying attentiion to me. Is that a real statistic of some kind? Just kidding!
As noted earlier, my classroom is busy with lots to see and do when the students are coming and going and finished with the day's work. I have music, reading material from "little people" books to a bunch of fact and "how to" books, to classic and popular novels. There's framed prints and calendars on every wall to add to the atmosphere.
Okay, we're back to the door ready to exit. Most of the kiddos are trying to get those last five minutes or so down on their paper. Hope you enjoyed the virtual tour of "my home away from home". I try to make it as comfortable and accommodating as possible, and most of the time we're all happy to be here learning, sharing and being North Polelites together. Bye, for now. JJ
