Registration Surprises

12 hour days are not fun. 8am to 8pm, but really not a straight shot, since they kindly gave us from 3-545 free. But, when you commute via bicycle, and it takes 20-30 minutes each way, you aren't going anywhere fast.

Registration is usually an exercise in idiocy. Parents don't know what grade their child is in. Parents can't follow simple instructions, or fill out forms completely. Parents who want to argue that they shouldn't have to provide a shot record, since they provided one last year, and the school should search for it.

In the midst of all this, I got my room pretty well set up and decorated. There are still a few things I want to do, but bulletin boards are papered (paper arrived this morning - previously we had only two nasty colors), desks arranged (33 desks, which is 5 more desks than they highest number of students I want), supplies stored, computers set up.

Then the surprises. Some electronics fairy gifted us with DVD players, so I nabbed one for my room. Even better, though, is the computer projector. In the past we had the ability to show our computer screens on the class TV. Resolution sucked, the TV still isn't big enough. I had wished over and over for a projector so the whole class could see a short video, a cool picture, or even a powerpoint presentation. Now I have that ability, and I never dreamed of even asking for such a tool. It really will change the way I teach.

A final surprise was finding sheets of laminated particle board (also known as dry-erase board) at Home Despot for $6.50 a 4'x8' sheet. They are somewhat damaged on corners, but I should be able to produce 30 1'x1' dry erase boards for my class. Hearkens back to personal slate tablets and chalk, doesn't it?