One Month Left!

I will be welcoming students back to school in exactly one month.  After two and a half months on bedrest and two years and nine months home with my three kids, I will be responsible for anywhere between one hundred and twenty and one hundred and fifty students for forty-five minutes periods, five times a day, and five days a week.  I finished organizing all of my literature and writing units on Google Docs a few weeks ago, but my to-do list is a billion miles long.  I'm feeling ambitious, excited, nervous, sad, tired, and  stressed all at once.  I guess that's normal.

A few things I need to take care of:

• work on my Maus unit
• make lots and lots of photocopies
• go shopping for school supplies (I really love doing this)
• move all of my files, art supplies, materials, and fans into my new classroom
• put up my bulletin board paper and borders
• figure out how to set up the chairs and desks
• read the books on the summer reading list that are new to me
• reread the books I teach during the fall semester (this includes Twelve Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, Macbeth, King Lear, Crime and Punishment, and A Midsummer Night's Dream)

It would be great if I could also potty train the twins, declutter my house, destroy the hornet's nest on the roof, and replace the numerous burned out light bulbs inside and outside my house, but I think that might be pushing it. 

What I'll have on my desk this year:

Clockwise:

• Desktop Magnetic Board , complete with notes to myself, pictures of my family, and inspirational quotes
• Tons of essays and other pieces of writing in manila folders--stacks, I tell you.  I am going to try to incorporate Google Docs into my classroom this year though...my attempt to go green.
• Halls Cough Drops--I keep them in a tall cedar candy box on my desk for me and my students.  Winters are a rough time for all of us.  I think my immunity shield is going to be a lot weaker after being away from students for so long.  Laryngitis, I know you're waiting for me.
• Alessi Dozi Paper Clip Holder, for all of my stray paper clips
• Post-it Desktop Organizer, for my Post-its (an absolutely necessity), pens, highlighters, and tape

At least that's taken care of.  

If I had even more extra time and got everything done, I would also consider thinking about how to deal with our newest...uh...pet.  

Say hello to my little friend.  I'm just going to refer to it as she, for convenience' sake:

She's a little shy.  

My kids love her, but I'm just afraid that she's going to make that crack even bigger.  That, however, is a problem for another day...but hopefully not a day when I have one hundred rabbits scampering around my yard.