Planning

I'm on a roll with my planning. I've overviewed for the whole year and panned individual lessons through the middle of September or so. I am feeling good about it.

Packing on the other hand has really been a challenge.

It's getting closer!

In other news, Ben will be the Jazz Band and Pep Band Director at Pratt Community College this year before he even has a degree! We're both real teachers! Crazy!

Countdown to my move: 8 days

Countdown to the first day of school: 27 days

Moving Right Along

I feel like my planning is actually starting to take off! I've never planned so many activities for a lesson and my class times are shorter than when I student taught so it will be interesting to see if I can get it all in, especially the first full week. Pacing is an interesting thing. One class will just race through and another class will only get half as far. That's ok though! I just have to remember that no one can be perfect their first year and it is just a work in progress!

I am a little bit nervous for that first day. I may have classes where over half of my kids don't know any English. The kindergarten teacher told me this is normal, but that by Christmas, they will be fluent!

Does anyone have any advice for going over procedures the first day if a large percentage of my kids can't understand what I am saying?

Countdown to my move: 12 days

Countdown to the first day of school: 31 days

Feeling Better

Today I am feeling much better about starting school.

I feel like I am figuring out how to do my planning! Yay!

Countdown to the first day of school: 35

Anxiety

I am feeling a little bit of anxiety about a lot of things:

Will I be ready on the first day of school?

Will I be good enough?

Will I be able to come up with engaging lessons for daily music class?

Will I be ok out there on my own?

I have to tell myself, "everything will be ok."

Countdown to the first day of school: 37 days

Daily Schedule

I got my daily schedule for the school year yesterday and found out what grades I would be teaching.

Transition:  8:00 - 8:10  Planning 
School 1:  8:10 - 10:15  --five classes in a row consisting of 2 kindergarten, 
 1 first grade and 2 second grade classes (25 minutes each)
Transition:  10:15 - 11:20  --15 minutes planning, 35 minutes of lunch, 15 minutes of travel 
School 2:  11:15 - 12:35 -- three classes of kindergarten
Transition:  12:45 - 1:20  25 minutes of planning and 15 minutes of travel 
School 3: 1:20 - 3:00 --four classes in a row, three kindergarten
  and one developmental kindergarten

I will be teaching TWELVE classes a day. 

NINE classes of kindergarten... DAILY

Holy moly!

Don't worry, I am very excited to be working with the little ones! : )

Countdown to the first day of school: 42 Days

Is this real life?

Today I feel like this kid...(follow the link)

I ask myself, "Is this real?" Am I really moving? Am I really going to teach 12 classes of music a day to Kindergarten through 2nd grade?

I am procrastinating a little. I am not moving until the end of July. I have 3 classrooms to set up. I have just started my planning... Some days it just doesn't seem real.