A day in my shoes.

Another great linky party that I have to partake in. Katie over at Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher is hosting this party where you outline what your everyday life is like. 

This is what a typical Monday in my shoes heels is like...careful, I have fallen a few times and have also gotten my heel stuck in the cracks on the sidewalks. :) 


4:45 - Alarm goes off. Yes, I get up this early. I'm an early bird and I do my best work in the morning so I choose to get up this early and head into school to get some work done before the kiddos come in. 


4:50 - Hop in the shower or I like to call it my "think tank." I analyze and go over what the day may bring me...


5:05 - Penny is whimpering at the door. I get out of the shower, get dressed, and have a 5 minute greeting session with Penn before I continue getting ready. She lays on the floor while I rub her belly and say "Good morning" 50 million times to her. Don't ask me how we got to this point but she loves it. How do I know? Her excessive tail wagging....


5:10 - Penny crawls back into bed while I finish getting ready. I do my make-up and then quickly check my email for blog comments. :) (This is a new addition to my morning routine.) Blow dry hair...do any finishing touches and head to the kitchen.


5:50 - Mark is up by this time so we exchange brief morning conversations. He is NOT a morning person, so I do most of the talking. I fill up my Tervis Tumbler with freezing ice water, make my lunch, pack my laptop bag, kiss Penny 15 times, and hit the road!


6:00 - Drive to work. Sing a lot in the car to get myself pumped for the day! 


6:35-6:40 - Arrive at work.Getting to work at the same time every day is nearly impossible. I take several isolated, country roads to get to work and that means one thing....TRUCKS!


6:40 - Sign in at the office. Collect the items in my mailbox. 


6:43 - QUIET CLASSROOM TIME. The calm before the storm. Check email, write emails, gather sheets for production, put up my Mimio lunch count, grade papers, write more emails, talk to teachers that come, talk to students that try to sneak in before the bell, talk to parents that come in, vacuum my room, (I LOVE MY MINI SHARK VACUUM), etc., etc., etc.... 


7:28 - My room is attached to the media center which is where they house the 3rd graders before the morning bell. The bell goes off at 7:30 but I hear little knocks and whispers of "Ms. V, COME GET USSSSSS," at my media door. 


7:30 - THE STORM HAS ARRIVED! Collect parent notes, box top labels, money for fundraisers, money for field trips, money for yearbook ads, lunch money, and any other money that finds its way on my desk. I love the kids that just drop the money on my desk with no name/reason and then we play the "WHO'S MONEY IS THIS?" game. 


The kids work on morning work and complete AR quizzes in between the 26 stories they want to share with me and their friends. 


8:00 - Go over morning work and start our 90 minute reading block. Centers, weekly reading story, grammar, mimio lessons, vocabulary, FCAT review.... and anything else I can squeeze in!


9:45 - Snack time. We all inhale a quick snack and take a breather. I usually work on minor issues that have arisen. (Examples: "Ms. V I logged myself out of AR." "Ms. V my stomach hurts." "I have a knot in my shoelace.") 


9:55 - My students grab their whiteboards, expo markers, and erasers and find seats on the floor for math time. 


10:00 - Math time, our favorite time of the day! 


11:00 - Specials. I drop the kids off, check my mailbox again, and use the restroom. I don't have a bathroom in my room, so by 11:00 I am doing the "bathroom dance." Afterwards us 3rd grade teachers chat in the office...bathroom...gate... where ever and catch up on gossip, stories, etc. 


11:15 - Back in my room if I don't have a meeting. Check math workbooks, push in 5 chairs, pick up 9 pencils on the floor, and any other odds and ends. Usually someone comes in to chat.


11:50 - I go and pick up the kiddos. If it's a P.E. day, I tackle bruises, cuts, student arguments, and the list goes on and on....


11:55 - If a student didn't finish their independent math pages, this is their time to do so. I go around and help out. Those who finished before specials quietly read. 


12:08 - Lunch time. I drop the kids off (sometimes I stay and eat with them). Most days, I eat while reorganizing my desk and sorting the materials that were left on it from the morning chaos. 


12:38 - I pick the kids up and we do science, social studies, or writing. Sometimes a combo of 2 subjects.


1:45 - Pack up time. Copy in agendas, pass out homework, empty out mailboxes, etc.


2:00 - Bell rings. Walk the kids out. 


2:00 - 3:15 - I tutor Monday - Thursday. Monday is my enrichment group and Tuesday - Thursday is for students who need help with various skills. 


3:15 - Walk the tutoring kids out to their parents' cars. Wave goodbye. 


3:18 - Go back to room. HEELS COME OFF. I walk around my room barefoot and pray that I don't step into something too gross. I work on anything and everything related to school.


4:45 - 5:00 - Time to call it a day. 


5:00 - Drive home.


5:30 - Arrive home. I greet Penny outside because she's too excited to control herself. We exchanges kisses and she whimpers in delight. I tell Mark about my day, while he or I cooks dinner...usually he can't get a word in because my mouth is going a mile a minute (OH IMAGINE THAT). 


6:00 - 6:30 - Dinner time. Afterwards, Mark and I argue about who is going to do the dishes.


6:40-9:00 - Blog stalk, watch TV, eBay surf, watch new movies on Comcast Direct, work on teacher stuff...relax!




9:00 - 9:15 - This is the time where Mark says "Come watch this with me." Sometimes I make it pass the opening credits but usually NOT. I fall asleep and drift into a teacher coma.


10:00-10:30 - Mark yells at me to go to the bedroom.  Penny squeezes herself next to me and finds herself a tiny part of my pillow and we fall fast asleep. 


GEEZ! Is anyone still with me? That was long, but that's my day! 


Finally, a BIG THANKS to those who responded to my desperate post yesterday for clip art and digital images. You guys are so awesome. I got so much great advice and spent last night purchasing a ton of stuff. Thanks again!