A Room of Our Own

Administrators at my school all teach and last year I taught 6th grade History while also serving as the Middle School Assistant Principal.  I have a lovely office but I taught the 6th grade in 3 different classrooms, none of them my own.  I got to be pretty good at getting the right supplies to the right place, but I missed having my things in just one classroom.   And I also missed the intangibles of one classroom —— the way a space becomes our own and contributes to the quality of the learning.  It’s not that the spaces I borrowed weren’t nice and functional; they were.  But a space of our own is much, much better.  This year, the stars aligned and I have a classroom where all of my 7th grade classes can meet.

The room is right next door to my office, which makes it easy for me to be in two places at once, a requirement of the Assistant Principal who also teaches three classes job that I hold (and love!).  Once I knew this room would be primarily mine, I immediately set to work getting it ready for the 7th graders.  There are new tables and chairs to seat the students.  Windows facing the northwest let in a lot of natural light.  To complement the freshly painted walls and provide some visual interest, among the Apple TV screen and white board,  I hung a poster acquired from the National Women’s History Museum.  On the bulletin board, I hung an assortment of historical photos that I made over the summer.

A picture from a former student and my patriotic pennant add some more interest without being a distraction.

Now we are in business with a great space for learning, thinking, and laughing.  Bring it on, 7th grade!