Could We Get A Disco Ball?

A while back, I posted the idea for the Twitter Wall (which was shared by presenter Kevin Honeycutt). I found our classroom Twitter Wall photo pinned on pinterest, which for some crazy reason made me feel really special. (It's the little things in life that make me happy.)  Early this spring it came time to enter the Got 2B Safe contest.  Teachers, if you have not entered this contest before, you're missing out.  The application process is simple and you have a chance to win the grand prize of a $10,000 classroom makeover.  Or you could win one of the first place prizes of a $500 gift card (typically to Staples).  I have entered this contest for five of the past six years and have always won the gift card.  It's amazing how a $500 gift card can lift your spirits and make you think you can transform learning with that piece of plastic!  My classroom got a wireless printer, two ipod touches, the nice mailboxes (good-bye cardboard!), labels, discs, and many more basic supplies with those gift cards. My colleague across the hall, she won the big prize and got a fabulous looking classroom!  Amazing! All for teaching students four basic rules of safety.

Anywho, back to my original thought of entering the contest (Squirrel! If you have seen the movie "Up", you get this and if you haven't, you really should).  This year I really wanted to focus on digital citizenship and internet safety, so my submitted lesson included the Twitter Wall.  I will now be joining my colleague across the hall with a classroom makeover!  I was notified a few weeks ago and it has been a bit of whirlwind.  Fortunately, I had the head's up of what was to come (remember, my colleague had been through this).  In a couple weeks, my husband and I are being flown to Washington, D.C. for three days, all expenses paid trip.  The itinerary includes a black tie event called the HOPE awards which is sponsored by the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  Awards are given to abduction survivors, actor/actress that has promoted the center, etc. I've been warned that it is emotional and I will come back a changed educator (too bad that change didn't include a tummy tuck, but I'm good with emotional change). We have the opportunity to meet with our congressmen, do some sight seeing, and will tour the NCMEC.  Not to mention, they are putting us up at The Willard Hotel. 

So amidst the dress shopping, buying extra deodorant (because the whole idea makes me a bit sweaty...was that TMI?), convincing my husband, the head track coach, that leaving the week of the sub-section track meet will be alright, and preparing my children for their parents being away from them for the longest time ever (no, we don't get out much).....I haven't even have time to dream about what my classroom should look like when this is all over.  I hope the interior designer they send out will be able to transform my rambling, random thoughts into something amazingly beautiful for my students.

Speaking of my students, who will get to loop to third grade with me and enjoy this little makeover, the first thing asked after the screaming subsided...."Could we get a disco ball?"

I think we will have to work that in somehow.  Stay tuned as I promise to blog about the whole process and the finished project. 

Thanks to all the new followers - you are encouraging me to actually try and do something with this blog.  Happy Teaching!