Looking through standards trying to come up with long term plans of study or whatever is kind of annoying. So here's a list of things from last week that make me look forward to this year.

• I'm not the only math teacher.
• I have a department chair (who's not me!).
• My chair came to this school because he really wanted to work with this community. Meaning he should be able to help me learn to understand the community.
• I have an aide. Who is from the community and knows students, staff, everyone. Beyond being friendly and someone I'm excited about working with, I'm also glad to have someone else who will be a resource for me in my adjustment to life here.
• New classroom! I get to break it in. (Hopefully not actually breaking anything.)
• The fact that the school did get the washer and dryer into our housing makes me more optimistic that I will have a laptop in my classroom. (Maybe it can download Geogbra. Even better if I can convince them to buy Geometer's Sketchpad.)