When do you go back to your classroom?

We got out of school the end of May and I've been going in for a couple hours a week since the start of July. I moved buildings/grades/subjects and know there's a lot to do still. I haven't been able to meet with my team but we've exchanged some "let's meet" emails.

I'm just wondering when does everyone go back to work in your room? I don't officially go back until August 20th.

 

We can get back in our rooms July 27. We go back on contract August 10.

 

I don't start school until right before Labor Day. We have one teacher work day before kds arrive. I MIGHT go one day in addition before that.

 

August 8th is my first day back. If it were just me, I wouldn't be going in before that at all, but I'll have a new teammate next year that I'll meet with a little before school starts.

 

We can go whenever we want. We have to pack everything up and stack it in the hall each year. It gets moved back to the middle of the room. I've gone in a few hours here and there. I'm about 90% done. I'm going in for a couple of hours next week and that will probably be it until close to the start (Aug 12).

 

Except for a two week window when they are cleaning my hallway, I can go in anytime I wish. It has certainly spoiled me.

 

We go back officially in late August (last week, I think), but can access the building whenever we want over the summer if we kept our key/magnets

 

I moved districts this year so I have a ton to do. I can get into my room July 20. First new teacher day is July 23. All teachers must report July 29th. I'm hoping I have enough time to get everything moved and set up before meet the teacher on July 30th.

 

We can go in whenever we want. Teachers report back August 4, and kids come back August 10. I'll probably start going in the week before the 4th. We have work days that week, but I anticipate spending a lot of that time planning with my grade level partner.

 

This year, the district office sent us a notice that we must collect all keys from teachers--absolutely zero exceptions.

It frustrated me to get this directive. I was the type of teacher who would spend time throughout the summer preparing my room (I hate doing things at the last minute--causes me too much anxiety). Unfortunately, though, I have to adhere to what the district says.

 

The students start school on September 8th. I'm usually in most days during the week before they start but, due to the fact that we will be starting the year on an administrative work-to-rule, we've been asked not to go in before September 3rd, which will give us 2 days in the classroom. Some will go in for a day or two before that, but most won't.

 

The teachers at my school have a couple of PD days in August. I will be out of town so I will miss those. Parent Day is Aug 20. I will be back Aug 19 so I can go to that and the kids officially come back Aug 24.

 

Yeah I totally understand why. Was there any stipulation that you couldn't let people into their rooms when the office was open? If I were a teacher I would be asking for someone to unlock my room.

I had to go in about 2 weeks ago and the entire school was a mess. My room was cleaned out but not clean yet. I'm going to poke my head in tomorrow to check it out and start working hopefully. We haven't gotten an email or anything but I am free to come in when I like. My badge still works.

 

My P is optimistic that we can get into our classrooms on or before July 29th. Most of the classrooms got new carpet and ceiling tiles, but since mine already had both as part of the previous year's construction, my classroom became the storage room. I hope I can get into my room ASAP because the teacher before me worked in that position, in that school, for 24 years... and she left EVERYTHING. All of the cabinets are full of her things, so I'm anticipating spending A LOT of my time going through them.

I'm brand new to the district, so my first contract day is August 3rd for orientation, a few days before the rest of the teachers. First day of school for my kiddos is August 13th.

 

I actually can't remember. The building is off-limits for painting and repairs for the first little bit of July, but heaven knows I can't remember how long that is. But I believe even though the building is "closed" all through July to the students and parents at some point I ought to be able to return.

Contract starts August 10th.

 

They are ripping out our carpets so no access until sometime mid-August. I will be gone on a trip at this point. It'll be crazy when I get back!

 

This has been my experience too. There is just so much old stuff in my new room that it's overwhelming. Since no one will really be back until the first of August, I'm a bit at a loss as to what to do with it all, so even though I can and have gone in a couple times, I can only do so much right now.

 

I don't even know WHAT to do. I have cabinets full of books that are 20 years old, which is great, but I'm positive I won't use them. My room lacks storage. When I was subbing in that room, there were boxes all over the place from just not having anywhere to put them. So I have to figure out what to do with the boxed stuff, sift through the unboxed stuff, and then somehow get my things set up! It is SO overwhelming, I agree!!

 

I officially go back on August 25th. I will try to get a couple of days in before that time.

 

We have been out since May 30. Received an e-mail that the building will be open beginning tomorrow. First scheduled day is the 24th. Open house 29th. Students first day 31st. Since we have to box everything I have tons to do before meetings start the 24th.

 

I have found an entire shelf with old flour and salt (both long past the use by date). Between that and all the old curriculum (decades old), August cannot get here soon enough so that I can get rid of some of this stuff and make way for things that my students will actually use.

 

I'm in summer school right now and we always keep our rooms throughout the year so at least I don't have to worry about packing/unpacking stuff. Summer school ends in August but between then and the start of school in September we can go into our rooms any time. The ONLY time we were told we could not go was when they were working on the floors. Other than that, we have a key to the building and classrooms so I can go in at my leisure.

ETA: The teachers who left those rooms a mess with their JUNK should have been told to clean them out. Really, that's terribly rude!

 

I agree. I can't believe that people leave rooms full of stuff!

 

My official work day is Aug 18, with students the 19th. I'll start going in as soon as the floors have been finished. I typically spend 2 weeks before school on set up. I am going on vacation the first week of August so I need to put in some work in July to be ready. I hate the stress and anxiety of last minute prepping.

 

I was out for the school year after the first full week of June and I won't be back in until September 2nd! That is super late since we are normally back in during the last week of August.

I'm doing a lot of work at home though with designing new curricular units for my 5th and 6th grade, so I'm definitely keeping busy. I've been side-tracked though lately because we had to suddenly move ~ so I really need to get back into it.

 

I had to deal with this in my first classroom that I inherited from a retiring teacher. I found worksheets that were dated from 1985 - the year I was born. :lol: Right into the trash they went!

 

Well, there is also a downside when NOTHING is in your room and you have to start from scratch. I inherited puzzles with missing pieces. That's it LOL

 

Wow, do you really only have one day between your first day and the students' first day? New teachers in my district get 8-9 days for orientation, PD and room set up, and then returning teachers get 6-7 days.

 

That is true! I'm glad I have puzzles and toys, since I teach ECSE. I think those belong to the district, though, so she wouldn't have been able to take them. It's all the other stuff. A few boxes in cabinets called "rewards" that aren't age-appropriate and a whole bunch of other stuff. I'm going to have to ask the janitor for a big trash can!!

 

Can I offer you some advice? I inherited a room that had materials in it dated 1992. It was a mess. What saved my sanity was I did not try to tackle it all before school started. I cleared out a couple of cupboards for my stuff, and made sure everything was neat. Then as the school year went along, I would choose one cupboard a month to sort through. There were some things I kept, and a lot I threw away. But I wouldn't have known what to keep/throw the summer before my first year.

By the end of the year, the cupboards were cleared out, and I could start to see the best ways to organize the stuff I kept, plus my own stuff. It was a life-saver. I would have killed myself trying to get all that done before school started.

My advice-spend your time getting to know your curriculum, and let the stuff follow later.

 

I had a lot of old worksheets too, but I just put them in an empty desk, and they became extras to do when finished. The kids got a hoot out of the old-fashioned nature of them!

I would just caution to everyone-don't just collectively throw all stuff away. I found some old VHS tapes, that at first glance seemed so out of date that I wanted to toss them. Then I watched a few and they were actually really good. I found old 3-2-1 Contact shows that my kids ADORED, and were very good. I used one on volcanos every year. They are short, to the point, and have good info. When you think about it, teachers in 1985 had to teach about volcanos too! :lol:

Prior to my starting at the school, for some reason 6th grade was just a revolving door of teachers. The longest anyone had stayed was 2 years, in the past 15. So there was a hodgepodge of crap, basically. Some old recorded TV shows, etc. But I did find a collection of tapes that one teacher had recorded the news-must have been doing current events or something. It was fun to watch news broadcasts from 1992! Even the kids would pop one of those in during indoor recess now and then.

 

I took some of my grandmother's totes when she was purging hee basement and found plenty of teaching stuff from the 80s. I asked her if she wanted them for memories. She asked me if I wanted to use them.

 

Kids come back 8/19 and we go back 8/17. We get one work day and one PD day. I may be moving rooms so I'll start going in soon. Usually I log 3-5 days before our official start date.

 

Thank you for that advice, kcjo! It does put things into perspective. I would have spent A LOT of time just sorting through the cabinets and then probably have an anxiety attack trying to get my room set up at the same time! I think there is just so much stored in the room - between the cabinets, the boxes above the cabinets and the boxes on the floor - that I am overwhelmed. But I didn't think about what I could use throughout the year. If I go in now, I'm tossing everything instead of seeing what I could use.

Thank you again!!

 

OP, I am in Idaho, too! Our last day with students was May 29th and then we had a Teacher Work Day on June 1. I have been back twice since then. Once to pick something up from a co-worker and once because I had to use the rest room and was in the neighborhood.

Students return to my district on August 18th, and teachers are called back on August 13th for two days of in-service and room prep. We also have a work day scheduled for August 17th, with the Open House running that night. I am planning on going back in starting that first week in August to start prepping materials, etc.
Sheilah

 

:thumb:

I think you'll find that it is a much easier task between your first and second year, to know what you want, where you want it, and how you want it organized!

 

I've been spending a few hours every other week in my classroom since school was out. I'll be getting in there several days a week starting August 1st. I go back to school the last week of August.

 

I go to a middle school in the district August 3 for new teacher orientation, then work in my classroom the 4th, then the middle school for more orientation the 5th, more orientation the morning of the 6th and then work in the room that afternoon, and then the 7th is another day in my classroom. The following week teachers start reporting to work and the 13th is the first day with kids. I am hoping to finally at least get a key to my room Monday, though, since my secretaries will be going back to work then. May not happen, though, because my elementary school hosted elementary summer school and has many teachers moving classrooms this year. I predict some teachers may have a lot more chaos going on than me a few weeks from now.

 

They keep adding days to staff development so we are up to six days before the official school year kicks off on Aug 24.

Have no idea when we will have access to our room and clueless where my room will be or look like since its a hodgepodge of various buildings as a new assignment.

 

I forgot to add that there's training you're expected to take during vacation. A minimum of at least 3 days but this year it's been about 12 plus meeting times during vacation.