WOW! This is Going to be Interesting!

Holy Guacamole! I am astonished by:

1. The way our school will look after construction is finished. Some parts are really beautiful; for a public school, the entrance is inviting, open, airy. The cafeteria, prior to the inundation of students, is bright, has sound reduction paneling up, and is updated with modern kitchen appliances that one would expect to see in a college dining hall. The changes are truly wonderful. But at the same time,
2. How BAD it looks now... How are we going to be ready enough for the kids to come back Monday? Cluttered hallways, filthy air with sawdust, paint fumes, and debris in general, and furniture absolutely everywhere. Almost everyone is changing rooms, so the frantic moving of file cabinets, desks, bookshelves, etc. has settled down just in time for all to scramble to get the textbooks they need before Monday. And if it IS ready for the kids (passes inspection for safety reasons, etc.), then the construction workers and custodians deserve a huge bonus, additional vacation hours for later in the year, and a lobster dinner.
3. How unbelievably unprepared I feel right now. My first year teaching, I was as ready as any brand new teacher can be, physically. I felt unprepared mentally, but I found my feet and pulled through. And years later, I am getting ready for next week with a mental list (and several tangible lists) of things I know I need to do. I feel relatively comfortable that I can easily get syllabi printed off and copied, etc. since I've taught all my preps before. But I feel absolutely lost physically. No, Rafe, I am not whining - simply stating the truth... The facts are that we are all being patient and flexible with the construction. My room was still under construction Monday and Tuesday of this week, and was being cleaned today. I am allowed to go in tomorrow and finally do work in my classroom. I'm hoping it is ready first thing in the morning so I may move my furniture in and unload all my materials. Nonetheless, I've made peace (yes, I have, so shut up) with the fact that my kids will have a fabulous room but few decorations to excite them about the new year. Regardless, I am still curious to see how other changes unfold...