Whole Brain Teaching and Back to School Nightmares

So I have been a very busy girl!
First, I went out of town a week ago to West Palm Beach for a Whole Brain Teaching Conference. Whole Brain Teaching is a new method (not quite the word, but don't really know how else to describe it) of teaching. It is totally fun and kid-centered and it's for all grade levels from Pre-K to college. The website is fabulous with lots of videos and FREE downloads. I recommend it to all teachers.
Anyways, I attended one there conferences last Tuesday and it was really great. The first part of the workshop dealt with classroom management...which what teacher doesn't need fresh ideas with that? The second part of the workshop discussed some super fun educational games that will help move students and get students motivated in all subjects. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but if you want to know more check out the website. www.wholebrainteaching.com It's worth it.
I got back in town last Thursday and have basically been working in my classroom ever since. Will post pictures of it once I'm through.
Now. One way you know the year is about to start is when you have your back-to-school nightmare. At least I have nightmares. This year I had 2. Unfortunately, I can only remember one of them at this point. It happened a week ago. Teachers were supposed to start back on August 17. When I arrived, I had the harrowing surprise of a messy classroom full of 20 students running around. Apparently, I was confused and missed the week of pre-planning. On top of this, I was at my old school and my old principal was making her way to my room. Total panic set in as I looked at my unorganized classroom and my unruly class. Luckily, I woke up and it was just a dream.

New Classroom=New Troubles

There are 3 extremely difficult times of the year for a teacher. From Spring Break to the end of the year. From Halloween to Christmas Break. And the month before school even begins.
I remember reading an editorial in the Florida Times that basically said teachers should stop all their whining about being underpaid and enjoy the easy job they have. I mean we do get over 8 weeks off in the summer. We do get every weekend off. We do get almost every holiday, 2 weeks during Christmas and a week during Spring Break, plus 5 Weather Days off. So why are whining? Simple...you need all that time off so you don't kill a child! I'm just kidding. Whoever wrote that editorial really has no clue how much work goes into being a teacher.
For me, the month before school even begins is the most challenging. It's also the most fun, because (a) you get to be creative and (b) you don't have to worry about keeping your students pre-occupied.
I really do love getting my classroom ready. It is a LOT of work, but it's fun. I don't think it's supposed to be that hard. I've had the added challenge of moving rooms every year, so there has been lots of packing, moving heavy boxes, unpacking(and driving this year), and conceptualizing where everything will go in addition to everything else that has to be done. Common emotions for a teacher to have, and ones that I experience frequently, are being overwhelmed, besieged, inundated, stressed... Here are some "before" pictures of my room so you can understand why a teacher may feel these things...




And this is after working in my room for 12 hours!!! Yikes! I have a LOT of work still to do. Another emotion...fear...will I have enough time to get my classroom ready before school starts? We shall see...