A Day in the Life

My first time linking up, this week Kelly's Corner is doing a look at your typical day!  I thought it would be fun!  Being a first grade teacher no day ever goes as planned.  Educators have to be extrememly flexible, but in a dream day this is how it would go. 

6:00 Alarm goes off...

6:10 Alarm goes off again and I finally get moving.  I get up and have my morning prayer time (read the chapters in the Bible for that day and do my morning prayers).

6:30 Get ready for work, let the pup out and get my coffee ready that my amazing husband makes every night.  I grab my granola bar (my usual breakfast) and head out the door!

7:05 Get to work and get ready for a day filled with 18 little first graders.  I set up anything I didn't get done the afternoon before, check e-mail, make copies, grade papers, etc.

7:50 Call the little ones in for them to put their book bags in the locker room and get started on their morning work.  I greet them, help them with their work, and check folders during this time. 

8:50 We begin our math block.  It begins with our math calendar (20 minutes), then on to the students favorite part math centers.  We end our math block with a mini lesson and a guides practive worksheet. 

9:00 Reading my favorite time of the day.  We have a hour of whole group full of phonics dances, jumping out phonemes (letter sounds), clapping out words, echo reading, applying comprehension skills, and read aloud to the students.  I could go on and on but I don't want to bore you. 

10:00 I have an aid beginning at this time so she meets with two groups for 15 minutes each while I meet with two groups for 15 minutes each.  The groups that are not with us are doing independent readinng centers.

10:30 Independent reading and Writing workshop while I continue intervention groups for another 30 minutes.

10:45 I try an squeeze another read aloud in or a fun game (around the world with facts cards, or sight words)

11:15 Special area...a break finally (all days except on Wednesday).  I use this time to get stuff ready for their HOME folders, run errands to drop off notes, make copies, grade papers, get ready for science or social studies. 

11:50 I pick them up and we head back to class to finish up any classwork that we didn't get completed earlier in the day.  Then we sanitize hands and head to lunch at 12:10.  I do get a duty free lunch,  the first half of the year we did eat lunch with our students but they worked our where aids could monitor lunch.  I pick up the children from lunch and we head to the bathrooms to make a whole class bathroom break.  Then we go play!! I love recess, because I love to watch them play.  I also like to play with them, my favorite game Mrs. W kickball.  It is where they all stand in a feild and I kick a ball as high in the air as I can and they run to catch it.  They squeal with delight and it makes my heart sing!

1:10 We head back in for science or social studies.  It takes a few minutes for us to settle down before learning can happen again, but usally I can get in a good 30 minutes of learning instruction.  Then at 1:50 we have to get packet up and head out to dismissal. 

My contract day ends at 3:00 so I am busy getting stuff planned and prepared for the next day. My school new years resolution is to get out of there by 3:00 (doesn't happen often, but I try).

When I get home I tidey up the house, do laundry, and start on dinner.  Adam gets home around 5:30 and is usually ready for dinner.  After that I clean up the dishes and we hang out, do some work stuff, watch tv, etc.  We are usally ready to hit the hay by 9:30.  Yea we are old people who enjoy our sleep.  I look forward to a day when our schedule has the pitter patter of little feet, but until them I enjoy getting up and doing what I do each day. 


*LRW*