Update of My New Classroom

As some of you already know that I got a teaching job for San Diego County Department of Education, it is relatively new program for all six teachers, speech therapist and few other important people for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program.

When I first returned to work from a long two weeks of vacation, I was amazed how much storage I have had in my classroom. The other six teachers had the same thing, too. It helped a lot to hide the junk stuff in the cabinets. However, I had a difficult time to setting the classroom up because I was assigned to teach Pre K- third grades or able to create the class assignments at once.

Instead of pushing myself too hard on the first day of returning to work, the matter was putting everything away in the classroom before the students arrive. I had an aide and a volunteer helping me with only 29 boxes to put things away (Just remember: I was forced to give all of the coolest things back to the previous district.) The teachers had more than 100 boxes to put them away. But even though I only had 29 boxes, I still had a difficult time thinking on how to create the lesson plans when teaching with the wide age groups in my class: Pre K- third grade.

Since I have had a volunteer and the aide setting the classroom up, they both made my room more welcome. I was very fortunately that they both are brilliants with the ideas and arts. The teachers love my classroom instead of making it look like they are in the residential school.

For the last two weeks, I have tried to manage to deal with variety age groups by splitting into three groups. I found it was impossible for two reasons: there was no computers and no curriculum books. I could come up with the lesson plans with the curriculum books for temporary. But it was impossible to keep my younger kids: Pre K and Kindergarten on-going hands on activities while I have two other older groups in my class. Truthfully, I did want to give it up on teaching until my co -worker, who we work together last year, told me not to; otherwise she will find me.

Despite of being difficulty creating the plans for two weeks, I had the parents obligate about the age group to the boss. I sort of was glad because it made senses that working and teaching students in ASL all at once. ( I could not image how the teacher taught students from K-12 back in 1800's in one big class room.) The parents were not complaining about my teaching, but was complaining about the age ranges. After that, my boss and I had a very good talk; she had a very good relationship. She admitted that she will move the younger kids to another class and hire a seventh teachers. Also thanks to the speech therapist who begged for the seventh teachers.

The County staff are currently in the progress on interviewing the teacher over the Video Relay Conference. It happened to be one of my friends from California State University of Northridge. This will be an exciting moments if they hire her. Hiring her will relieve for all of us, especially my class.

Once it settles it down, this will make difference for students' education. My boss knows and understands my destination: impact for each student's education with a smaller classroom. This will make parents happy. Who doesn't blame them? For those of the parents who came to observe me as a hawk, later admitted that they were glad to hear this will work it out by hiring another teacher. Also, they admitted they are happy to have their child placing in my class (two of them) because I am the only ones who is skilled in American Sign Language besides the certified interpreters.

Now, we just finally got the computer and the curriculum teacher's manuel and textbooks two days ago. From that point, we can proceed to write our standard lesson plans. It was so awkward not to have any valid lesson plans. Let's hope this will make difference for all of us: especially for each student.