Goodbye and Hello.

Gonna miss my friend, Mr. Nottage!

This post is long overdue...I want to just take a moment and blog a little about a place that I has been a part of my life for the past four years...that place is Indiantown Middle School. When I was looking for jobs in Florida...it was such a stressful time.  John had found out he got into some PhD programs and after talking about it we chose Florida.  I ended my school year at Wintergreen and pretty much left for Japan for a month with John's sister and a group of teachers on a Fulbright Study Abroad.  We would tour Japan all day, visit shrines, schools...walk, walk, WALK...and then, every night...I would look for jobs.  

And then I saw the posting for IMS, and I applied.  I was able to schedule the interview while in Japan.  I think I was back in the US maybe two days before we headed down to Florida.  I interviewed and got the job...and I have been there for the past four years.  I taught art,  wrote a bunch of grants, coached cheerleading, some good friends...and was even lucky enough to be the Teacher of the Year there...good times indeed.

Probably so much I could say...but instead I just want to post a few panoramic views...so I can take a peek back at my time at IMS when I miss my students and friends..if I ever doubt myself when faced with a new challenge... I will look back at these to remind myself that I made a difference, and I will try to do that wherever I go, regardless of the demographic of the school.

First view...my classroom.  A very lively place...with lot's of...well...EVERYTHING. 

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 I think I really found that our when I was leaving because I had to get the entire room packed up and moved across the way into a temporary location. They are going to tear down almost the entire building that I taught in my fours years at IMS...so in addition to packing up my own personal items in the classroom...everything else had to be packed up.  And I did it- WE did it.  My students not only finished their projects and helped me sort and distribute them to each class, but collectively we boxed up that entire room.  I can only hope that it will be a little easier for the new teacher to set up the art room next year...I am so OCD I couldn't just box it up...I had to do color-coded labels..sigh. Life would be easier if I wasn't so set on organization!

(Left, top and bottom) Donated bags from Whole Foods, the kids use them to transport their artwork home safely (Middle and images to Left) my crazy labeling and sorting or items...I hope it helps!

And then...of course...the art.  We made SO MUCH ART.  Seriously.  I covered any wall that the tape would stick to.  They thing that was unique to IMS was the amount of space that I had, especially the past couple of years.  We opened up a new building which left the old cafeteria open for...art.  It became a gigantic gallery, we even used it for creating/storing sculpture.  Then, when they moved even more teachers tot he new spaces I had a room for 'resources' (basically, recycled materials)...a room for cheerleading...and a room I set up just for drawing and printmaking.  I definitely had space...and we filled it with art and art-making.

And now...well, now I am looking to the future.  My future includes moving farther south and leaving the public school system to teach private school.  I will be teaching digital photography, drawing, painting and survey classes to middle school and high school students.  Nervous?  Yeah, a little.  

Excited?  Alot.  (sorry, Mrs. Aldridge, I know that isn't really a word)

Yes, I am.  I am so excited I don't know what to do!

But first...I will just spend some time relaxing and enjoying my summer...but I will always have my memories of IMS to take with me wherever I go.  

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