In the old building, teachers were allowed to decorate their rooms. This created a welcoming space that made it fun and easier to learn for many students. With the move, teachers no longer have their own space, meaning they can no longer have their posters, and nic-nacs. This also means they must share a desk and storage space with other teachers. A few however, have found a way to combat this: carts.
Carts are a very helpful tool for teachers. Mrs. McGillicuddy, a science teacher, says “I work in various spots throughout the building (both in several classrooms and some teacher work rooms) and I like to have my most commonly used supplies at hand.”
McGillicuddy’s cart greatly reflects her personality. Each item on it holds some sort of purpose; from
her lucky mini buddha, to her “NO” button. McGillicuddy holds family close to her, and this can be seen on her cart as well. She uses her grandfather’s (M. Tracy Conway) name plate from when he used to work at THS.
Senora Marchell, a Spanish teacher, has been using a cart for years. Her personality and interests are also reflected in her cart’s decorations. “I have stickers that were created by an art teacher friend of mine that represent who I am, such as the lotus and the woman with the afro,” she told the press. Marchell considers herself to be “all about peace, love, and happiness” and if you look at her cart’s decorations, you can definitely tell that that claim is true.
While teachers use their carts to show their personality, they are also getting used for an essential reason. “I couldn’t fit the rest of my essential items in my backpack,” math teacher Mrs. Chamberlain states. While every teacher is different, they all claimed to have pens, pencils, passes, and a folder filing box. When asked why they even started using a cart in the first place, Marchell says “It lowers my anxiety.” Switching rooms makes it difficult to keep organized, but having everything one would need with you helps tremendously. “ The first couple of weeks, it was hard trying to remember what to put where, where did I leave something, but now everything is all in one place.”
Students don’t seem to have a problem with the carts at all. Most teachers have claimed that when students see them coming, they move out of the way and let the teachers merge. “I might need a horn to beep at people, but students have been very generous and will always let me merge into hall traffic,” McGillicuddy states.
When all is said and done, the teachers’ carts are a great tool to keep organized and bring a little bit of life back in these empty classrooms.