This is a great read aloud because it's BIG and most of the text is BIG so you just can't help shouting out "Big Plans! BIG PLANS, I SAY!" which is sure to get the kids more fired up than if I started with Thomas and the Library Lady again. (Not to say anything bad about Thomas, I love it, but it's just not the same).
As for the new job: Monday was Mimio board training which was mostly good for meeting more staff members. Tuesday was Instructional Leadership Team and while we were all reminded that, like Vegas and Fight Club, what gets said there stays there I think it's okay to share that I found it to be a pretty great group of people and it seemed like a good start to me!
Wednesday was just setting up, straightening up (lots to do there!) and then two wonderful ladies from the district office came to spend hours with me getting me all checked out on the morning announcement broadcast and the closed-circuit system. We're all set up for the 21st century with green screen technology, stock footage video clips for the pledge and the moment of silence and fancy editing equipment. (Which reminds me, I need to practice that part because those Teacher of the Year videos come up quick).
I'm going to start from scratch on the announcement slide show because, well, I'm not a fan of the clip art. I'd rather use more images and book covers. For example, August 9th is the first day of school and I see that it's Seymour Simon's birthday. It's also the day Jesse Owens won gold in 1936. I can add images of book covers we actually carry in the library to pique interest and I don't think it takes any longer than finding generic clip art.
I got BIG PLANS! BIG PLANS, I SAY!
