Blank Space

I spent the majority of today (plus two days last week) prepping my first ever classroom for my Grade 3's that start on Friday. I spent hours cutting, laminating, moving, blu-taccing and googling all to end up feeling as though I have nowhere near enough to start the school year. 

Still looks too bare to me

I am quite fortunate in that I have a decent sized classroom to play with so maybe that adds to that 'empty' feeling. It is probably no help that
all the other rooms around me are occupied by more established teachers that already have a year or mores worth of 'stuff' to decorate with. 

I know that given time, I will accumulate my fair share of resources and that I will most likely spend a small fortune on everything I want and/or need. Until then I will have to make do with what I have and be grateful that I have the opportunity to start from scratch. I am sure my students will be eager to help me make the room feel like home with all their brilliant work hanging up everywhere. They are already aware that they are my first class and I think they are excited by it, so hopefully that means their expectations are a bit lower (haha). 

What I have learnt though from setting up my classroom is that teachers spend a lot of time and money in preparing a room for learning. We cannot expect students to feel engaged and motivated if they are in a boring room with blank walls, no books to read and no resources to use. I want my space to be conducive to learning without being too overwhelming. I already feel a great sense of pride in what I have achieved so far and I hope to instill that pride in my students. 

So, here it comes; Day 1. Everything I have worked so hard for over the past four years, not to mention my dream since childhood is all coming together nicely. Excitement, nerves, anxiety, elation - you name it, i'm feeling it. Wish me luck everyone.