Temporary classroom

[nannytothequeen]

I'm just about to start a new year (downunder) in a stupidly small room. Year 1/2/3. 29 kids. Biggest class In the schoolL - another story. The classroom is also effectively a building site as its being extended and the work is unfinished despite all promises from the principal and the contractors. Come March the work should be done (let's say April) and everyone will be moving around. So in terms of setting up my room for the start of the year I am reluctant to spend money or lots of time because it's so temporary. The class is tricky behaviour wise. I am torn between very minimalist. Basically an open space, small number of books regularly changed, small number of resources regularly refreshed. There are not enough desks for everyone so I'll have to think about that. Or else something more dramatic with a theme. Or even splitting ourselves between the room and a gazebo on the field. All ideas welcome. I just want to make a definitive decision rather than muddle along. As an aside, I am a very experienced teacher with my own family and a single parent, so time is something I don't have. And I have a suspicion that I have been set up to fail as the principal doesn't much like me.

Say what? Not enough desks for everyone to sit down at once in year 1/2/3??

The curriculum/ expectations must be very different to the UK. Is it play-based for much longer?

I know. It's madness. Yep- it is very much play based, but given numbers I will need some more structure, especially for my Year 3s. This situation is down to a strange numbers game across the school and inequity around the allocation and distribution of staffing. It will improve once the new building is operational, but that's 8 weeks away.

Isn't there a ruling on floor space per amount of pupils. I'm in Scotland so maybe it's different. We have had several occasions recently when classes couldn't be accommodated in certain classrooms as there were more pupils than the floor space of the room could take.