I am linking up with
Miss Klohn at Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher for her first linky party..... A Day in My Shoes. Not sure a day of my life is "linky worthy" but here's a peek anyway....this is a typical day....of course I have a few VERY not typical....but this is the norm:)
4:45 - I wake up...notice I didn't say the alarm wakes me up! The alarm is set for 5:00...I can't remember the last time an alarm woke me up. My internal clock makes me NUTS!!!! Even on days where there is not school....Yup! I am up before 5!! Uggg! Shower!
5:10ish...making coffee and oatmeal with blueberries.
5:15 - eating my oatmeal and watching the morning news (and quickly checking the blog world)
5:25 - drying hair/doin makeup/doin hair some more/deciding what to wear.....switching cuz I don't like it.....trying another outfit......
5:40 - waking up the teen and the hubs
6:00 - packing lunch (if I remember), filling my thermos with coffee (never forget that), loading my Vera (which I have been packing WAY too heavy lately and have screwed up my shoulder/back:((( )
6:20 - kiss teen, kiss hubs, load my car and am off
6:22 - call Mom....(usually call her every morn before work)
6:30 - Unload and head to my classroom....pray the custodian doesn't scare the tar out of me...there aren't very many people here this early and one morning he came out of a door that I didn't know was there and well.....let's just say, I freaked a little.....trudge to the end of my hall with the bags, thermos, sometimes rabbit, praying I don't drop anything....wishing I had taken my classroom keys out before I started down the hall....
6:35 - Flip on lights, computers, unpack bags, lunch in fridge, check email, turn on Itunes...got Adele this week so have been listening to her:), write morning routine on whiteboard, catch up on miscellaneous (grading, lesson planning, emailing, changing things in the hallway,....teacher stuff)
7:30 - one of my good buds from 3rd grade stops and picks me up and we go to the office together to get mail, drop off copying, and chat
7:45 - chat with Student Teacher about "game plan" for the day
7:55 - use potty cuz that won't happen again until.......well, don't know when!!! I think if they took xrays of teacher bladders they would see that they are much larger than others....don't mean to be gross...just speaking the truth! Anyone agree with that?????
8:00 - let in the peeps, finish teacher stuff, check agendas, parent notes....kiddos are getting their book luggage and doing their morning routine which is READING ( a la The Book Whisperer) I always have a few who weren't able to finish up classwork the day before so they are working....music is going and they are quiet...(P.S. if they come in tooooo noisy, they go out and come in again...NOT starting the day off all wound up and winding up others:// )
8:35 - Bell rings and we're OFF!!!! Morning announcements live on the TV put on by the 5th grade:) Take attendance, send notes to office with messengers
Some mornings have a morning meeting on the carpet, some not...go over the day (so no one is surprised) and my expectations
8:50 - 9:50 Math Block - We start off with a few review questions...right now that's multi-digit multiplication!!!!! Can't seem to get it to STICK! Then move on to lesson...variables and expressions are in the makes right now
9:50 - put away dry erase boards and Math books and transition to Reading block
9:50 - 11:20 Reading Block - Go over focus skill for the lesson, review genre we are on,
Daily 5 (which is 4 right now including guided reading)
- Work with Teacher (guided reading)
- Read to Self
- Word Work
- Work on Writing
11:20 Writing Block - review/prepare, review/prepare, review/prepare....demand write practice. We are getting ready for the lovely (not so much) state assessment of Florida Writes. (let me clarify...I love teaching writing...I super love to read their writing.....I don't think it is necessary to stress kids out, put a time limit on it and a score based on a state test....especially WRITING when it is soooooooo subjective!!! I've been with my kids all year.....I have seen the struggles and gains all year and now someone, a stranger who doesn't know that student A has a learning disability, or student B's parents just broke up, or student C has severe anxiety, or...... is going to grade them based on 1 paper!!!! ok, better change the subject......) Last week we polished narratives.....this week it will be expositories!! Wish I had more time.....
11:45 - start potty breaks
11:53 - line up and head out to lunch
12:00 - maybe get back to room in time to scarf down something...usually not...usually taking care of teacher stuff (phone calls home, papers, notes, looking in files.....)
12:23 - Pick up the kiddos back to room
12:25 - quickly chat about how the rest of the day is going to play out
12:30 - line up for recess
12:32 - recess/ play crowd control/referee/counselor/nurse/ have eyes in the back of my head!! Chat with my teamies:D
12:55 - Whistle (farmer style....I have a really loud whistle with my fingers) gets'em every time) and the kids come and line up, head back to room
1:00 - drinks and Science/Social Studies block - cram as much of this in as I can
1:30 - iii time - vocab/math/reading comprehension.....what ever the need is....
1:45 - stack up and pack up - Do a read aloud if there's time....they LOVE to be read to....possibly because I read like a goof ball with different voices, drama, sound effects, and more drama
1:50 Line up for specials on the weeks that we have it....
2:00 while peeps are at specials more teacher stuff (phone calls, emails, paperwork, RTI stuff, lesson plans, cleaning up, grading....)
2:30 - pick up kids, return to class, line up, say good bye, make sure I have checked any transportation changes, make sure I haven't forgotten anyone
2:35 - Dismissal....let parent pickup kids go, walk rest of line out and around bus loop and back to front.....wave, hug, remind kids to do homework, Goodbye!!!!
2:45 - return to room and do more teacher stuff.....I am usually there anywhere from 3:15 - 4:30..sometimes 5.....head home to blog stalk and chillax with teen and hubs.....
5ish - ??? Ask the teen if he has homework....ask again and make sure he did it...feed the farm (bunny, fish pond, birds, sugar glider), straighten up house...usually change into sweats!!! I am super spoiled cuz hubs usually cooks supper...then we act like 2 old people and sit on the couch and multitask watching TV, chatting, I'm blogging, texting or Skyping baby girl at college, and playing Words With Family on my new Nook. Every night we play this game....can you say old fuddy duddies and no social life.....oh well....it's relaxing:)
If ya made it through my day......YEAH!!! I also wanted to tell ya about some new fun (thank you
Frog Spot for the super cute borders) boggle buttons I have made and have added to my
Teacher Notebook store. My kids love this activity for Word Work but my original boggle buttons were OH SO BORING....now I have fun new ones to add Tuesday:) AND if you have hung in there and read this super loooong post I have a freebie for the first 5 people to comment on this post will get the Boggle Button Mania set for FREE:D Don't forget to leave an email!!