Kids, you’ve got a few more days to goof off. Teachers, not so much.
Walk into any classroom in a South Florida public school and you’re likely to see teachers taping posters on walls, shelving books, pinning up decorations, and sanitizing materials.
“Getting ready, seeing the teachers we haven’t seen since last year, so yes, it gets very exciting,” said Gabriella Rodriguez, who teaches special education at Hialeah Gardens Elementary School.
Teachers are preparing their rooms for the invading hoard of students, which arrives Tuesday in Broward and Wednesday in Miami-Dade.
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As he was stacking books on a shelf, New River Middle School teacher Ben Marquette told us, “We’re gonna take the first 15 minutes of every day and do a class read or they read independently because it’s real important.”
Setting up the classrooms every year is a fun time for teachers, but it’s also nerve-wracking because they have to make sure the kids are inspired by what they see when they walk in the door.
“‘Cause you want it to look presentable for the first days, especially when the parents come in and you want to show them their child is safe in school and they’re in a nurturing environment,” said Maria Frontella.
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She co-teaches a third-grade class with Sheretha Jimeno at Hialeah Gardens Elementary. That’s the year in which kids take state assessment exams.
“Being a third-grade teacher, you know there is a lot of pressure on you but it’s rewarding once you see those scores come up, come in and you’re able to say, I did that,” Jimeno said.
Kimberly Coombs calls her classroom at New River Middle the hive, so it’s festooned with bee-themed decorations.
“Oh, I’m so excited, cannot wait for the kids to come back,” Coombs said. “Last year was very very difficult because it was kind of our first year finally back, so I definitely hope that things are different this year.”
Her colleague down the hall has the same observation about students being ready to learn when the first bell rings.
“I feel like after the whole COVID year, coming back last year was kind of a weird year for a lot of kids, we’re excited because this year we’re gonna get back to little bit of normalcy,” Marquette said.
The teachers are ready to roll, the custodians are spiffing everything up, so students, the ball is in your court now.
