Teaching can be a very difficult job at times. Keeping one’s classroom organized and decorated nicely adds to that stress. For teachers Ms. Harlow, Mr. Colon, Ms. [Amanda] Brown, Mr. Beaumont, Mrs. Perryman, and Ms. James, they must keep up with two classrooms or their classroom is simply a traveling cart.

For Brown, this is her third year as a traveling teacher, teaching biology and environmental science. This semester, Brown travels to rooms A109 (1st), E101 (2nd), and E102 (4th). To keep herself organized, Brown has a cart with separate baskets for everything.

“I have one for graded papers, one for turning in assignments, and a little basket for pencils, staplers, passes, etc.,” said Brown.

Brown says that traveling around can be a “real challenge some days.”

“If you forget something, it may be on the other side of the school, not just in a cabinet right there in the classroom. I have to unpack and repack everything for class that day and log on and off the computer. Sometimes, it takes those computers a little while to get to the files I need to start class.”

Due to not having her own classroom, she plans her lessons to be easily accessible despite her location.

“Since I can’t write things on the whiteboard and leave them up all day, I tend to use a lot of PowerPoint and activities that require little set up.”

However, Brown still manages to find the positive in her situation.

“There are a few advantages such as, not having to decorate a classroom, which does leave more time to do other things. It also making packing stuff up for the summer a lot easier. But, I would much rather have a classroom than move around,” said Brown.

Beaumont has also been a traveling teacher for the past four years. Beaumont moves from rooms A101, A205, and A206. He teaches World History II, psychology, and comparative religion.

Beaumont says it helps to reorganize his cart periodically. He also says that binder clips, twine to keep his binders on the cart, and old paper boxes come in handy.

“Traversing from room to room is also interesting, as it’s akin to playing Frogger trying to avoid the students in the hallway,” Beaumont said.

While these teachers are moving from classroom to classroom, some teachers are moving to a different building.

Ms. James and Mr. Colon teach foreign language at both the high school and the middle school.

Colon has been a traveling teacher for the past five years. He also was a traveling teacher for Danville Public Schools for a year and a half.

Colon teaches Spanish and when he travels to TMS, he uses room 809, which is Mr. Clayton’s classroom. Colon travels once to the middle school every day, and then spends the rest of the day at THS in his own classroom.

To keep himself organized while traveling down the hill, Colon uses a rolling cart to move his supplies and materials back and forth.

“Traveling from one school to another can be challenging sometimes. It is not fun when it is raining or during windy days. My planning period is also shorter because of traveling time,” said Colon.

James begins her day at TMS.

At the middle school, James uses Mr. Ferguson’s room. For third and fourth blocks, she returns to her classroom at THS.

She keeps a cart at the middle school and also has a rolling backpack to carry between the schools. James also has multiples of things, such as staplers, craft supplies, and her teacher’s edition textbooks. This allows her to have supplies at both schools.

“I’m not the most organized person, so sometimes I forget things and have to adjust. Subsequently, I’ve learned to be a more minimalist and creative teacher,” she said.

James has been a traveling teacher for the past eleven years.

“It can be tedious and stressful and I feel bad for the teacher I displace cause I know he could use that time in his room,” James said.

Band teacher Mrs. Harlow and chorus teacher Mrs. Perryman travel between both schools, as well.

This is Harlow’s sixth year doing this, but she says this year has been the easiest because she only has to move classrooms once a day.

“I wish I could say that I have a super efficient way of transporting everything but I can’t,” Harlow said.

Harlow relies on a large book bag and box.

“If you look at my back seat [of my car],  it is literally my rolling desk,” Harlow said.

One of the biggest problems for Harlow as a traveling teacher is not being easily found by her students.

She says that her beginning band students often get confused on where to find her during the day, but struggle even more to find her after school.

After school, she can be found on the practice field, in the band room, on the stage, on the football field, at the middle school soccer field, or in the middle school band room.

However, like the other teachers, she still manages to find the positive in her situation.

“At times, it can be difficult… however, I love being able to work at both schools because I am able to watch students grow from 6th through 12th,” Harlow said.