Show Me the Students

Just finished up two more (half) days of Westminster orientation this week, with two more (full) days next week before school starts on Wednesday. I confess I'm about "oriented" out considering last week's conference, this week's training, and the thought of next week's final prep - bring on the students and let's start sinking or swimming together.

As I've been moving into my space, there have been students moving into theirs (lockers, that is). My classroom is at the end of the freshman hallway, and all numbers of giddy high school rookies (mostly girls) have been decorating their lockers. On Wednesday, as I was walking through the hallway, I heard one girl ask another what she was wearing on the first day (still a whole week away). The girl didn't pause a second in answering - she already knew and described her outfit. I smirked and rolled my eyes, but then realized we teachers have been thinking about first day protocols for weeks now, so I'm not sure we're any less silly.

My classroom doubles as the school boardroom, which means that while I have to deal with more than the occasional unscheduled meeting during my prep periods, it's really nice and big, complete with crisp air conditioning, wi-fi, mounted projector unit, computer, printer, storage closet, sink, and phone. Apart from setting up my desk, I'm not able to do any decorating, but that's not that big a deal as I'm a "less-is-more" kind of guy anyway (besides, the wall is lined with class pictures of graduates from the eighties, so I feel right at home).

I've got one more book to finish up this weekend, as well as some last tweaks on the first ten days of both the New Testament and Ethics curricula; other than that, I'm ready.

Show me the students...