Orientation for the new teachers

Today we had our first day with all of the staff at the school for this upcoming year. I must say that I appreciate the work that Arlene and I did in the Math office at Ithaca College. I helped her review the schedule and we checked the rooms, the assignments, and every detail many many times. I also knew it was right everytime I communicated the information to other people. I appreciate it, because today I witnessed a school trying hard to do scheduling correctly, but having simple errors. And since a schedule is so intricate, one mistake can cascade into many other problems.

So I was told today that instead of being on the 6th grade team, I'm on the 7th grade team. That's all good and whatever. But... they didn't go thru and make sure that I could have a 7th grade advisory, and so since I have a class during the 7th grade advisory period, I have a 6th grade advisory. So I am a little bit 7th grade team and a little bit 6th grade team. I'm all good with that. Schedules are big algorithms and are complicated by not difficult. One class had been scheduled for Art 5 periods in a row. Imagine those kids, let alone the teacher! Oy vay!

I have great people around me. My neighbor teacher Marc, helped me with his skill at moving a cabinet in my room without scratching the floor. THANKS MARK! His wife and CUTE CUTE 11 month old daughter were in today to help him. I was wishing I had a someone to help me.

So team meeting, teacher handbook, regulations, send-out policy, how kids go up and down the stairs... details detail day. Oh... funny one. the school is on the 7th and 8th floor of this building and when they take the elevator up, the class goes all in one elevator car and they must be silent. I can just see 20 6th graders all squished in the car and being quiet. I can't wait to witness this. Oh, and they take the stairs down and they must be silent, and we were advised that once during the first week we have to find someone talking and forcing the entire class to walk all of the stairs back up and then go down quietly again. I was told it only takes once and they will NEVER talk again in the stairwell.

That's all for now. I have made friends with the science teacher by giving her eyedroppers I found in my supply cabinet. :)

Off to bed and then work tomorrow. I sure will either get a lot of grading done or a lot of reading while riding the train.