My new classroom

I finally got to meet my new principal and some of the faculty of my new school and see my new classroom last week. The people are all very nice and I think I will fit right in. My only problem is my classroom. For all my complaining about St. Louis Public Schools, I did have a big, bright classroom. Well my one at Buerkle is small, windowless, and barren. I was really bummed, because although it is middle school I want it to be fun, bright and inviting for my students. So needless to say I have A LOT of work ahead of me. All that was in the room were student desk, a teacher desk 2 file cabinets, and a large locking cabinet with shelves. No teacher chair, extra table or book cases to be found and no, I repeat NO windows to the outside. The only window is a small one in the doorway. It can only be described as 70's architecture, need I say more?

I talked with the head custodian, a very nice woman named Polly, about at least getting a chairt to sit in and maybe a book case since I am teaching literature it would be nice for the books I have for students to be displayed. She told me she would scrounge up a chair and book case or two but couldn't guarantee the quality. I then asked one of the other teachers if we got a budget to spend in the beginning of the year on supplies and I was informed that no we did not get a budget. Supplies are ordered by department chairs and were placed last spring. BUM-MER! At my old school my principal would give us each a $500 budget that we could spend on supplies that would be ordered from catalogs. Unfortuntaly all of that stuff that I ordered the last few years then becomes property of St. Louis Public Schools, so I couldn't really take my good books shelf, steel stool, and moveable dry erase board with me.

Did I mention that my new classroom had a chalk board, UGH!

So if any of you teacher people out there have any cast offs you can throw my way, let me know! I will take any and all donations.