A Teacher Without a Classroom

My first two years of teaching: second grade in Tennessee.  Your first classroom....oh my goodness!  It was so exciting, overwhelming, and a blank slate.

But we decided to move back to Ohio.  So I packed up my room.

Third year: first grade.  My classroom was HUGE.  Wood floors, big windows that went from almost floor to ceiling and there was still a chalk board in the room.  I loved that room.

Fourth year: first grade.  I started in that same room but moved upstairs halfway through the year.  We roll with it.

Fifth year: second grade, no room change. Phew!  But we got word that our building was closing.  And I decided to move to a Title position (my dream job!).

But...this meant it was time to pack up.  All my stuff was put into boxes and stored at my house.

Sixth, seventh, and eighth year: Title I.  Part of my teaching was to be done in a janitor closet and the other half was in the old shower rooms.  I got all set up.  Plans changed.  I was to only be in the janitor closet.

I packed up.

The past few years I have taught within the classroom in co-teaching or small group situations.  My janitor closet has been used to store my give away books, resources, personal items, and technology.

But in the spring I was told that my closet needed to be used for Reading Recovery.

I packed up again.

But where?  Our building was out of space.  Time to get creative.

I found some cabinets in the cafeteria that were empty and one that was locked.  After searching for a key, using some oil, and muscle...the locked cabinet saw some light.

Ummm....I don't think it has seen light since the 60s or 70s.  This stuff was O.L.D.  But it is the perfect place to store all my materials that I use to decorate for parent events, books I give away, and decor for bulletin boards. 

But what about all the important stuff...teaching materials?  My team jumped right up and opened all of their classrooms to me.  What else could a girl ask for?  So loving.  So kind.

I think that as teachers we learn to become very resourceful.  We learn how to use what we are given and make things work the best that we can for our students.  Classroom or no classroom, space or no space, packing or no packing...we pull together, find solutions, and work hard for that ultimate goal: the love of learning.

From every move, change, and position, I have grown.  Become a better teacher.  Challenged myself.

Thank you to the people that have stood beside me throughout these moments.

And to my 2015-2016 team...what a great year it will be!