Getting back in the classroom

Andrew Heiserman
Posted 8/14/19

As August comes to a close and the school year approaches, area teachers are hard at work getting everything prepared before the students arrive this week.

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Getting back in the classroom

Posted

ROCHELLE – As August comes to a close and the school year approaches, area teachers are hard at work getting everything prepared before the students arrive this week.
The process varies from teacher to teacher, but includes many different tasks such as setting up the classroom with posters and bulletin boards, organizing the desks, viewing the incoming roster and, for many teachers, going back and looking at what worked and didn’t work from the previous year.
One of the main goal for many educators is to make their rooms welcoming to the new students as they walk in on their first day.
“My classroom, I like it to be bright and airy, as you can see a lot of my posters are positive quotes or colorful. I think that just gives a warm inviting place for the students, rather than a gloomy classroom,” explained Charity Prose, geometry and honors geometry teacher at Rochelle Township High School.
For many of the teachers the process of preparing begins once the previous school year is over and continues all throughout the summer. Some teachers will take a small break during the summer to relax, but the coming school year is always in the back of their minds.

“I am one of those teachers who is constantly thinking about curriculum over the summer, I have been in many times over the summer getting ready. But I do take a week or two every year to just not think about school,” said Alison Vrana, world history, AP European history and current events teacher at RTHS.
Preparing for an upcoming school year involves a lot of work and can be very stressful at times, especially for teachers prepping for their first year of teaching. One piece of advice from an experienced teacher is to focus on the positive things.
“It is going to be hard, but you can do it. Focus on the positive things and look at the small victories,” added Hannah Busching, Spanish one and two teacher at RTHS.
In an effort to help the students get excited about the new year, RTHS has an event called “Hub Life” planned for the first day of school. There will be bands playing music at both of the entrances, granola bars donated by Walmart will be handed out and big balloons and positive sayings will also adorn the walls of the school.
“I think it is going to help show kids that teachers care about students on a personal level and we are excited for the journey they are about to take this year,” added Prose. “I think we give a great education to our students. I know my colleagues put in a lot time and energy for Individual instruction and extra help. Not only in the summer preparing, but throughout the year they are here late into the evening.”