I admit it, I'm a little bit of a control freak... Ok, a lot perhaps. I like my class to be organised, I like to feel like it looks pretty and colourful. It's something I can control. And let's face it, there's a lot that we can't control about teaching in today's education scene.
I've been thinking about this for the past few days, how much time I spend on making my classroom look wonderful. How much time I spend cutting and laminating, cutting again and then arranging on my wall. I like the process, it's somehow monotonous, soothing. But it takes time. And it's never ending. How much worth do I place in the 'prettiness' of my classroom, how much evidence do I think it holds for me as a 'good' teacher. Lots it turns out. Misplaced worth I feel after my days of pondering.
I am a good teacher. I know that. My students feel loved and valued. They know I'm there for them. That's what is important. Not how straight my borders are or whether my lettering matches the colour scheme of the display.
In today's fast paced, crazy-busy world something has to give. And it has to be the something that isn't as important as the rest. Perhaps the laminating and cutting needs to take a back seat if I'm to get on top of the real stuff this year. Don't get me wrong, there'll still be laminating and displays but if my cutting isn't perfect or my writing is a little messier than usual I will try my best not to completely re-do the whole jolly thing. There's just not enough time, and I have more important things to be doing.
