Interior Design 101

Gotta give a shout-out to my girl, Ms. Garrison, for really steppin' it up today and helping me in my classroom. Some of that Barton 3rd grade teamwork right there! It's looking pretty good, with the exception of poor color choice for butcher paper. Kind of looks like an Easter egg basket threw up on the walls (pictures to come).

All this interior design-type stuff has got me thinking about how kids feel in a new space. I was fine with my colors until I realized that boys have to live in my classroom too. I can't go fluffy and frilly and expect the boys to feel ultra comfortable. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one for pastels, but my attempt at "cool" colors, turquoise, teal, and purple--as opposed to "warm" colors, like red, yellow, and orange--turned south. The paper seriously did not look that bad in the store. Maybe they won't notice.

Word to the wise: Stick to primary and secondary colors. Tertiary and beyond--you're asking for trouble.

Can someone please tell me why it's taking so long to finish my classroom? It seems like every room I go to is leaps and bounds ahead of mine. I'm quietly panicking that enough of it won't be done in time for Tuesday. My arms hurt. I'm covered in a thin layer of adhesive spray. My Chucks stick to the floor. I'm exhausted and undernourished. I also happen to be broke, but I haven't stopped buying things for the room. Right now I feel like throwing up. I need my kids.

Inauguration

I haven't blogged since Paris 2005. It's good to be back.

Simple things. That's my focus this year--simple things--all the things that I love about my students--the way they laugh, the way they talk, how they say my name (Ms. Jung). I love these kids and I want to keep that first in my mind, before everything else--writing notebooks, math messages, test scores. My kids matter more than anything. When the pressure mounts they keep me grounded. They are people that I love--that's all that matters.