so completely!

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Originally uploaded by alipants.

Tomorrow is my last day of New Teacher Orientation. I will be very, very happy. Today was one long day of Classroom Management. Two hour stretches sitting in wooden auditorium chairs with fabric over them in an auditorium that made people sweat the first half of yesterday and then freeze the rest of the time. Awesome.
I e-mailed my department chair about my room (or lack thereof). When I heard another teacher talking about how she was supposed to be a 10th grade floater, but got lucky, I knew that I was probably the one that took her place. And I was right. I now have no actual classroom, but share other people's classrooms when they are on plan or duty periods. I guess three of my classes are in the same room, which is the room of one of the teachers I met on Monday.
As for the rest of the teachers on my academy and in my school, I've only met the new ones, some administration, my vice-principal for my academy and the principal. All of them are totally nice, welcoming and awesome. I'm enjoying getting to know the ones I've gone through New Teacher Orientation with. We've been sharing lots of ideas and all that geeky teacher stuff, so, so far, I feel really supported. It is pretty amazing.
So, all of this leads me to being totally over not having a classroom of my own. I do have a work desk in the English work room (each core subject has a work room where you go work during your plan periods, if you have no academy meetings), so I have personal space. Plus, dealing with keeping my stuff organized on a cart will be much easier than organized a WHOLE ROOM when I've never done this before! Also, I don't have that much stuff and the money we're given to get supplies for the year probably would be a little tidbit of what I could use for a whole room, but will be more than comfortable for a cart! It's still exciting, cart or classroom.
The drive hasn't been too bad, either. Today I was excited because I got on the road pre-4o'clock traffic. Unfortunately, it was a day for accidents and I had two 15-20 minutes dead stops on the way back. One was just five miles from home! So frustrating and hot! I was always stuck in the sun to the point where I actually tested my crappy-running A/C (yet another thing to check out on the car, oy!), which worked pretty well. Ugh. At least it was on the way back and not the way there. I will be really glad that most normal school days I will be before the major commute times.
Today also involved: setting up medical/dental insurance, medical flexible spending account (to be used for eye care, mosly), payroll stuff, getting my first letter/card from Miss Julia as well as our car and renter's insurance. Yesterday I sent out some of my first mail from Williamsburg (ooh, exciting!). Yes, we are totally adults now.
Oh, and we totally managed and handled a good-sized leak in our second bathroom last night. I went in to take a bath (I've missed them!) and found water all over the floor and dripping a lot from the ceiling. The realtor was really quick in responding and the people below us had called them five minutes before. I love this apartment.
So, we've been here a week. Things are going good and will hopefully continue that way.
Start sending me letters! I'll write you back!