Last year, I told you guys about the hard decision I made to leave my teaching position and take a leave of absence. You can read about that {here}. One thing that experience taught me was that sometimes you really do have to close one door for a better door to open. My leave of absence gave me the opportunity to take a part-time intervention position at the same school my sweet friend, Courtney from Teaching in Paradise, works. Let me tell you, I love the hours. Part-time is perfect for those of us that have families and spouses with demanding jobs. Even better though, I love the students, staff, and school. I've been able to fall in love with teaching again! Although there are some logistical challenges to my "classroom". Much like every school, there just isn't extra room for intervention teachers. Since we're in Hawaii and get to benefit from this amazing year-round weather, I teach at a picnic table outside. This is my classroom. A little unusual and does make for some different obstacles to overcome compared to what you would face in a classroom. But we make the best of it everyday, and I'm constantly reminded how teaching is all about being flexible. :) The big thing is I HAVE to stay organized, and I really had to think about what supplies I really need on a daily basis. First thing was to order a super cute 31 bag to store all my stuff. This bag has been a lifesaver! I keep all the stuff I use everyday inside the bag. I've tried to keep a consistent routine with my intervention groups, so I can use the same type of supplies. Inside the bag, I keep these things: 1. A wooden chart stand that has a pocket chart on one side and dry erase board on the other. 2. My The Next Step in Guided Reading by Jan Richardson book. 3. Making Words folders for building words. You can find out how to get the cover page and the letter tiles {here}. 4. My Erin Condren lesson plan book. Love that thing! 5. My small group materials binder with all of the pages I use for word work. You can read a post about those pages and find out how to get your freebies {here}. 6. Dry erase boards and markers. I use baby socks for erasers. :) 7. A binder where I keep all of my curriculum guides and materials we're currently using (like math pages and reading passages). I love these pocket folders to keep all of my groups neatly organized. I use all of the pockets to store things that are smaller like pencils, pens, and all of my Fluency Task Cards. So there you go! A little glimpse into my "classroom". And this just goes to show that sometimes a little thinking outside of the box can help you come up with alternative solutions to get things done. Now if only I could make the VERY large cockroaches and ants go away! :)
