nesting

You know how women getting ready to have a baby will go through the "nesting" thing, where they want to get everything in order for baby's arrival? Well, I think teachers also get the urge to nest. Right now I am dying to work on my classroom and begin preparing for the school year, but there is not much I can do when my classroom and teaching materials are on another continent. I have never had the time to truly prepare for a school year the way I would like to; my first job was taken after the year had already started, and I've spent the last four summers raising support instead of focusing on my actual role of teaching. So, you can imagine my frustration when I start pinning ideas on Pinterest and start getting inspired with project ideas and decorating ideas and start thinking through the list of tasks I will need to accomplish before the new school year begins... and know I can't do anything but write it down and hope that I find my to-do list when the time comes.

The good news is that I am going into my fourth year of teaching 7th and 8th grade science so I have the courses pretty much mapped out and prepared. But I am taking on a brand new class this year - 6th grade science. I know nothing about physical science, but three years ago I knew nothing about the other science classes I taught, either. So I will learn, even if I do just stay one step ahead of the kids all year.

In the meantime, I will continue to dream about what I will do when I finally make it back to Germany and am able to get back into my classroom. I will also continue to stock up on cheap supplies like cute erasers, Expo markers, and glue sticks, since Wal-Mart does not exist in Germany.