This is my life.....
Alarm begins to chime on the iPhone at 5:30am; I optimistically think I'll jump up and grab the delay-brewed coffee, but
6:00 is the magic number. Coffee, book (currently, "The White Princess" by Philippa Gregory), weather, devotion.
In the car by 7:15 for the hour long commute. I happily pay for more coffee, pray for more courage.
Swipe my badge, drag my bags, take a deep breath before 8:30; redo the Blackboard Configuration Boards for Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, and distribute the "Do Now" activity.
Head back outside because the students are gathered on the side lot, waiting to pledge and clap the day into existence. We walk the lot, stream through the tunnel, and climb two flights of stairs to enter our home-away-from-home for the next 7 hours.
Wonderopolis, Morning Meeting, Reading Street, Bathrooms, Encore Class, Guided Reading, Literacy Stations, Bathrooms, Lunch, Guided Math, Math Stations, Rest/Intervention, Social Studies, Bathroom, Recess, Science, Writer's Workshop, Free Choice/Intervention, Dismissal... hugs, tattling, defiance, laughter, potty accidents, curse words, untied shoes, bandaids, observations, evaluations, celebrations, accomplishment, growth, tears, regression, progress, reality.
5:00pm, swipe the badge, drag the bags, navigate the rush hour commute, walk through the door 11 hours after the first step out of the door. Dinner by dad :-), dance carpool, 7th grade homework, binging on Homeland, asleep before 9:00.
37 days complete.
(If you teach, or have taught, in a large urban district, your advice/thoughts/tips would be much appreciated!)
Time for CURRENTLY!
TREAT!
During our study of community helpers, we made a cityscape with shapes.
My district mandates that the scoring rubric be displayed with the work,
SO, of course, I made one!
Feel free to use it as a springboard
for your own rubric creations.
The clipart in the rubric and at the top of this post
was created by the very talented Krista Wallden!
Her wonderful work can be found in her TpT store.
Happy October, friends!
Am exhausted just reading this. Life as a kindergarten teacher is always incredibly full and EVENTFUL! Hope things fall into a smoothautomatic pilot routine for you soon. So the fun for you can begin.
ReplyDeleteThere are mini moments of fun; but MORE would be good for my health! :-)
DeleteI also teach Kindergarten in a large urban district! This is my 4th year teaching there. If you even want to chat feel free to e-mail me! Mrs.Sommer12@gmail.com. Your day sounds a lot like mine! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat's Working This Year?
Absolutely! Yes!! Thank you!!!
DeleteIt's tiresome just reading about your day. I wish you didn't have such a long commute. It seems like you'd save so much time without it. I guess that's not an option though. Bless you. His mercies are new every morning.
ReplyDelete❀ Tammy
Forever in First
I was meditating on the word "mercy" today! I think I've been given a new measure of mercy, in addition to the teaching and discernment gifts. I count on Him every day. {HUGS}
DeleteI'm guessing the tears and curse words are coming from you! Hang in there and remember "that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him"
ReplyDeleteHugs
Jenny
Tears--me AND them, Curse Words--NOT me! Yes, I've been called a few interesting names.
DeleteWow - reading your post made me appreciate my 5 minute commute even more. In my early days of teaching I did drive 50 minutes each way.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your descriptive writing - what a great model for your students. Cool rubric, too!
Jane
Learning in the Little Apple
Thanks for your encouraging words!
DeleteThanks for stopping by my blog and I looooooved reading your re-cap of your day. Made me laugh and feel exhausted all at once! :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your blog, too!
DeleteChrissy,
ReplyDeleteI have been teaching kindergarten in a large urban area for 25 years and although my commute is a bit shorter 20 minutes on a good day because I arrive at school by 7:15 for an 8:15 school day start, but evenings often is more like 30 minutes and I am usually not home to after 5....just too much to do to prep for the next day. Anyway as you know, teaching is full of ups and downs and hopefully you will find the joys in the little things or should I say little people. I find that different times of the year are easier than others, the beginning of the year can be very draining and I come home some nights and just veg out for a bit. But the more the kiddos get into the routine, and you get through that first big assessment, parent teacher conferences and progress reports, things even out. I am heading into all of that in the next few weeks so I am looking towards Thanksgiving being the...."I think things are going smoothly" time. I am sure your commute will soon be filled with the thoughts and songs of praise and God will continue to point out to you the joys you have as being a teacher, of molding little minds, of finding love, curiosity and silliness in the many small moments of your day. Take heart and know there are many of us feeling the same way you do :)
I'm going to "copy and print" your words, keep them in my lesson plan binder! Please keep in touch!
DeleteI love the way you describe your afternoons-yes, it sounds exhausting, but celebrations and accomplishments among the stress. Hang in there-you know the first month or two are the hardest, especially with the little ones.
ReplyDeleteNotJustChild'sPlay