Let's Get This Party Started!

So I found out some wonderful news yesterday... I finally have another teaching job! I will be teaching second grade!

After working at a charter school in downtown Houston for nearly 2 years, with my boyfriend driving over an hour to and from work in Katy, it just became too much. His commute was just too long. He couldn't move his job, but I could, in theory, move mine. So, with a heavy heart I left my old school and Kinder kiddos to find a job teaching out here. Little did I know that would be so difficult!

I applied to so many schools I lost count ages ago. Finally, my mom emailed me an opening in a nearby school district, one that I didn't realize had school so close. I decided to visit the school's website, and fell in love with its mission statement and values. So the next morning, on a whim, I decided to dress up and go to the school to leave a copy of my resume and teaching portfolio with the principal, hoping that just maybe the position was still available.

My teaching portfolio :)

I could imagine this ending in a few ways:

1. I get there and they give me the stink eye and tell me (rudely) that the position is full. This had already happened to me once, so I was reeeeally hoping it wouldn't happen again.
2. I get there and the school is closed, and there was no one there to take my resume. I would assume that they had already filled the position.
3. I get there and the position is not only still open but they would love to schedule an interview RIGHT NOW!

Fortunately, I got there and walked into scenario number 3. Not only was the position still open, but they were literally in the middle of interviews scheduled THAT DAY! I waited a few minutes and the principal came out and I was able to give her my cover letter, resume, and a black and white copy of my portfolio in person. When he secretary tried to get me to leave them and schedule an interview, the principal said, "No, no, it's ok! Can you come back in like, half an hour? Go get some coffee and come back!" I was so excited!

So after going to Starbuck's for a little while and flipping through pictures of my Kinder Babies (sorry - first graders!!), I went back to the school. It was a rockin' interview, if I say so myself. Towards the end she said "I'm going to be honest with you...I have one more interview at 2. I'm not the kind of person to spend time deliberating. If I had to pick someone right now, I would pick you, hands down." 

So I ran home and actually filled out the application for the school district (oopsie....), and sent her an email letting her know I had done so. 36 hours later she called me and offered me the job as a second grade teacher!!

Now I can FINALLY stop stressing out about having a job, and start stressing out about a classroom! 

But seriously, I haven't let myself do ANYTHING for my classroom yet because I wanted to wait until I had a job. My poor boyfriend has had to deal with having everything from my classroom in our spare room in the new apartment. Yeah... you can't even walk in there. 

So yesterday I did my first project for my classroom....making these classroom rules signs from Kinder Craze, one of my all-time favorite blogs. I used most of the same colors she did (her classroom is to die for, by the way), changing only one. First I painted primer on the frames on Monday night, and let them dry overnight.

Tuesday, yesterday, I spread out a tarp on my patio and got to spray paintin'! I didn't take very many pictures along the way, because I didn't anticipate actually starting a blog soon... oopsie! Here they are sitting out to dry, though!

Like watching paint dry...

After waiting a few hours (not sure where the patience for THAT came from...), I went and checked on them. They were all dry, and only one needed another coat (teal one in the upper right corner). I'm not sure if I didn't shake the can enough the first time or if it was just a bad can, but it did NOT turn out right at first. When I first started spraying, it was super dark instead of the bright teal color it was supposed to be. I shook it again and sprayed again, and it got a bit better. After one more coat, it looked much better, though it was kind of bubbly. I ended up taking it in before it was totally set because it started raining. All that was left to do was pop in the rules I had printed at OfficeMax!

They're DONE!

Hooray! Ignoring my brightly painted toes at the bottom, you can see that they turned out super cute! I haven't decided if I am going to leave in the rules from Kinder Craze, or make new ones that are more my own. My new school (eek, so exciting to say that!) has a set of values that could go in there too. Problem is, they are about two words each (Like "Show Respect"), which doesn't really allow for much creativity and color. Only time will tell! Overall, I am so happy with how they came out.

I hope I can share more things that I make in the next few days for my classroom this year! I'm not sure when I will get access to it yet...but hopefully it will be soon! In the meantime, I will be printing, laminating, and cutting out some of the decorations I purchased from Maria over at Kinder Craze...you'll be seeing a lot of her beautiful creations in my classroom!