Getting ready!

My first blog entry! Some important things you should know:

It is my wish that this blog remain anonymous. I don't want to cause any problems for myself, my students, or my school. I know it's weird, but please don't include my name or your name in any comments. You have the option to remain anonymous when you post anything, and please do so if your user name gives away your identity! You can always leave your initials or first name below a post if you want me to know who you are, but please don't leave your entire name. I'm also screening comments to catch any slip-ups so don't worry too much if you accidentally put something that may give away identities. I know this is extreme and pretty much a hassle, but it's for the best. NOW THE FUN STUFF:

Purpose: to let friends and family (and randos) into the intimate details of my life during my first year of teaching in an upper elementary bilingual class (vague enough for you??? haha..) It should be a pretty crazy roller coaster ride.. I'm sure any teacher can attest to that. It's also good for me to get my feelings out, use the blog for reflection and improvement in teaching/life issues, and it's gonna be pretty freakin cool when I can look back on this and laugh at my sorrow. I honestly don't anticipate having too much time to blog, but once I get started I will hold myself to a strict schedule and make sure this actually gets done!

Background info

I'm a product of an alternative certification program, meaning that I currently have a probationary certificate and will be earning my real one by 6/2011. As a bilingual educator, I thought (and hoped) I'd be in a title I school (huge majority of kids with free and reduced priced lunch-FRL) where like 95-100% of kids were bilingual (English/Spanish) or ELLs (English Language Learners--not yet fully bilingual). I thought I'd be working with a highly transient population, with some students moving 4+ times during the school year and very little parental support or discipline, not because they're lazy or have misguided priorities, but more so because they're too busy working multiple jobs, don't speak English, and have at least 2 other kids. I thought I'd struggle for resources, have to deal with other misguided and inadequate teachers. As luck had it, I ended up at the opposite end of the spectrum:

Some stats about my school/class:
Around 900 students, 10% FRL (most commonly used indicator of poverty).
probably 30ish students in my class, but they're generally well behaved and independent learners.
TOO MUCH parental involvement (from what I've skillfully gleaned from other teachers and administrators, even though no one explicitly said it.)
Freaking AWESOME teachers in my grade level. They're sweet, funny, helpful, and crazy.
I don't have to worry too much about lesson planning.
I won't need too much structure in my class (rules, procedures, elaborate consequences and rewards)--parts that I was really excited about and prepared a lot for. Oh well...hopefully I can use all that training in the future!

What's going on now
          A couple of weeks ago I started setting up my classroom, it's almost done currently. I just went through a welcome/training program for new teachers (mostly useless), and will spend next week doing stuff at my school and preparing for open house when all the kids come with their parents and drop off their supplies! Kind of nerve racking.
          I'm going to be reviewing what the district mandates us to teach for the first few weeks of school, and finishing preparing my classroom. ITS SO FREAKING EXPENSIVE. I've already spent over $100 on posters, borders, organization stuff. There's tons of peer pressure from my grade level to BUY things... I'm really wishing I was at a poorer school where teachers recommend not spending one penny. It's so strange here how posters and store-bought things are actually useful to these kids (or so the teachers seem to think/say). A teacher at a title I campus said "My kids never look at anything unless they helped make it". I guess that's not the case here. I've already hit up a random teacher for border. Pretty sure I'm going to shamelessly ask anyone and everyone for extra stuff they have lying around. I desperately need buckets/containers for school supplies and materials. Might just end up buying a box of zip locks and scavenging in the dollar store. TEACHER TIP: Always go to the dollar store before any other. Target also has good deals in the dollar section. 
         I'm super tired and going to bed. night!