Definitely an Experience

My current school is a very interesting school, no doubt about it. Not only have we switched classrooms a total of six times this school year, we've also been located at three different sites, and have effectively built our school from the ground up.

We started the year out at two different sites. When I came for the interview, I saw where the school would be located. It was an old goat barn, and four portable buildings.

However, when I accepted the job and came out on the day before classes started, the directions I was given completely confused me ...until I realized that classes wouldn't be held at the school site.
Nope, we started the year out at the local Baptist church, who was kind enough to lend us rooms free of charge. And I say "we" meaning the high school and junior high school. We're a k-12 charter school in the middle of ranch country near the foothills. Our elementary school was located about 10 miles ago, back next to the school site, at the local home owners association building (who did charge us to be there).

And our principal? She was located at the office about 1.5 miles away from our high school, next to the local pizza shop.
That's right... You try having an irate parent, a troublesome kid, or an emergency when the principal is 1.5 miles down the road. Those first few months were FUN. *rolls eyes*



As I said, the high school and the junior high were both at the church. They had a large portable split into three classrooms, and two classrooms available in the church proper. The junior high started out in the hallway. We weren't allowed to leave things up in the classroom on Wednesdays or Fridays. Since we only teach every-other day(AB schedule), we were taking down our classroom every time we worked.

Our junior high consists of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in a self-contained setting. That means one teacher was teaching all three grades, all subjects, all day. (We changed that at the semester. Now we rotate teachers through them).

Due to an altercation between a high school and a junior high student (read: two girls fighting over a guy),  the junior high was moved to another room next to the pizza parlor.

Three sites.

This lasted until mid December.

Throughout this period, we would have spur-of-the-moment field trips to the main school site to help build the school (usually in a mad rush to get things done before a scheduled inspection).

Our kids literally built their school.

Our kids have been so good at setting up and breaking down classrooms throughout the year.

Once we moved to the main site, things were better. We then had a classroom for the junior high, and three portables for the high school.
...until February when the home owners' association kicked out the elementary school (renovations).

Then we had the two elementary classes in two of the portables (k-2 class and 3-5 class) and the entire high school was confined to one portable.

Now, we may only work every other day, so there were only 2-3 classes going on in a room at any given time... but 6 high school teachers have a lot of stuff!

When they finally (almost) finished renovating the goat barn, we were ecstatic! The office got moved over, and the music teacher got her own classroom.
However, the "classroom" part for the other teachers was unfinished. It has concrete floors and large metal doors that open (like a garage). This was fine...

...until the end of May/beginning of June...

It's currently in the mid 90s here.

So, once again... we have the entire high school in once classroom.

Circles.

(doesn't this make you appreciate your school more?)