August 27, 2009

Phineas and Ferb say that there are 104 days of summer vacation. What do they know, they're just cartoon characters. So where did the time go? Next week is officially the last week of my summer vacation and I've not rested yet. Two weeks of summer school, two weeks of personal professional development, countless hours in an empty school building and still there is so much to do before September 1.

Last week I spent several hours in the bargain paradise called The Barn. For under $50 I picked up several bags of books which will now grace my classroom and provide opportunities for students to read material at their level. I was amazed that, as precious a resource as books are, that there was such a variety to choose from. Truly "one man's trash is another man's treasure".

For me, teaching is more than a job. Nearly every waking moment for me is consumed with finding ways to improve my teaching, the teaching of those around me and to create opportunities for students to succeed in a seemingly endless cycle of academic challenge.

But as I stand in my classroom listening to eerie silence of empty, I smile. Why? Because this is where the magic happens. On September 14, students will arrive – some with apprehension and others with anticipation. It is in this classroom where I will inspire, motivate and in some cases, create a thirst for the love of learning. It is here that I will stretch the thinking of students and empower them to make choices as academic connoiseurs of Literacy, numeracy, the sciences and more. It is in this classroom where I will unleash the poetic voices of unwritten prose and uncover the hidden talent of a great writer.

Yes, this is where it will happen!

Mrs. Helen Paynter is the Literacy Coordinator at the Whitney Institute Middle School. She is a passionate public school teacher who believes that every educator's mantra should be "for the good of the children". Comments and questions can be e-mailed to paynterhelen@hotmail.com