Where Has the Summer Gone?

Well, kids, it is that time again.  It is time for me to start unpacking my Tupperware tubs and decorating the walls of my classroom in anticipation of stimulating young minds.  And that is exactly what I have been doing the last few days.

I have never worked at a BRAND NEW never before opened school before and I am not sure I would hop on board another one again.  There are a lot of growing pains.  Seems there isn't enough time to do the million and one things that need to be done.  I started work on August 4th but there wasn't anything to do because books hadn't came in.  Then a week later, most of the faculty had assembled with a few stragglers yet to arrive from the US, we started to try to find stuff to do but there still wasn't a whole lot and work was mostly get to know each other til lunch and then kill some more time after lunch.  It sucked because I didn't even have a classroom and I felt like I had tons of stuff to do but couldn't do any of it.
That brings us to this week.  I finally got a classroom, although it isn't equipped with a smartboard like promised but hopefully that will be soon, and could finally start work.  Only the computers set up in our rooms had no software on them until today.  It seems that we just have hurdle after hurdle to jump here but we are getting there.  I joked today that our Principal, who has taken on the role of "union leader" for us so that we have a spokesman to admin, needed a fireman's helmet because all he has been doing is putting out fires (figuratively that is).  The dorm kids moved in today and tomorrow we have an official orientation for parents and students. 

OH! And Korean kids and parents being, well, Korean kids and parents, feel they should be in Algebra 2 (the highest math we offer) even if they are 6th graders.  Really?  Ugh.  So, our counselor has done his best to put kids where he thinks they should be realistically but I still get to spend the first couple days of school giving them pre-tests to see at what level they should be but, I am sorry, in no world is a 6th or even a 7th grader going to be in Algebra 2... not even in Korea.

Well, tomorrow after the orientation I will be working hard to get ready for the first week of school.  Four preps with one of them being a SIXTH grade math is freaking me out.  Also, being THE math department is a little daunting.  I have to be extra diligent and super organized but you know what?  I got this.  And in two years when we move on from here it is going to look A-FREAKING-MAZING on my resume. 

Saturday we are planning on heading to Busan to visit our friends (and pick up my new LV suitcase and Chanel watch - I love shopping in Korea) and do touristy things. Besides that we have a lot of cleaning and organizing of our house now that most of our HHG has been unpacked and on Monday, that will be here before we know it, ready or not we are going to have 190 K thru 9th graders walking in to get them some American learning! Woo hoo!

Send me all the positive and happy thoughts you can (Besides being super duper busy and stressed with that I have a crick in my neck and can't tilt it all the way)... I want enough happy thoughts to help me fly to Never Never Land, okay?

Enjoy these pics I have taken this last week.

Room Before (Those are all my textbooks. I have no shelves to store them)

Room (my desk) before.

My desk (I HAVE A PRINTER)

Windows... that is the library that is all windows and looks like a space shuttle outside.

Yep, that is pi up to like 50 digits (don't remember exactly how many) AND my student's tessellation artwork from last year.

This was in my teacher supplies.  It is a covered soap dish... uh, no white board eraser but I get a covered soap dish? oh-kay.

Front of building (only 1/3 is visible in this pic)

And from across the street