so close, and yet so far away (aka how many different ways can I postpone putting up bulletin boards?)
The books are in! Okay, well, I still need to find one more bookshelf (apparently five just aren't enough), but most of the books are put away. Of course, this means that I need to start setting up my filing system for the year, get my posters on the walls...and put up bulletin boards. I hate putting up bulletin boards. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not quite tall enough to really reach the top edge of the paper, or whether I just drive myself nuts with my inability to staple anything straight, but putting up bulletin boards is a huge struggle for me. I usually end up with at least one stapled finger and several torn borders before the project is over. I also always end up convincing myself that it will be "safe" to stand on my chair/desk/counter and, in consequence, tumble to the ground at least once.
As the year goes on, most of my wall-space is covered with student work, but at the beginning of the year I like having my room colorful and welcoming. I also like having designated areas for reading, writing, and social studies, but the board I work the most on is my "board of success."
The board of success came about because of a random conversation I had with a student. She had won a medal at a track meet, but she felt like there was nowhere, at school at least, for her to celebrate her accomplishment. Now, this was a student who regularly did well, but not perfect, on tests and quizzes, and she did not normally want to see her work up on a wall. She did, though, want to see her medal up somewhere. We decided together that it would be nice to have a designated board for all success--not just academic success.
This board is important to me. As a teacher, I feel an incredible responsibilty to teach my students more than the subject assigned. I also want to make sure that they know that success is not confined to academic (or monetary) matters, but they can be successful in any area they put effort and passion into.
Of course, writing about it isn't getting it put up--but wasn't that the point of this post?
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