A Day In The Life Of A K-4 Teacher

5:50AM
There are certain sounds I can do without in life. One being the sound of Thunder. I HATE the sound of thunder. If you live in the mountains, as I do, you may understand my feelings. When there is a thunder storm up here there is nothing louder than the rip roaring crash of thunder.

A fire drill: Being a teacher, I have had my share of fire drills. And let me tell ya, I think I may just rather hear the thunder. I honestly can’t say I blame my kids when they plug their ears as we rush out of the building. I am tempted to put ear plugs in my own! “Oh, I am sorry honey. What was that? Let me take out my ear plugs. What? Oh yes, we always need to have our ears open during a fire drill to listen to directions. So you keep those ears open while I protect mine…” *Smirk*

And number three… THE ALARM CLOCK! Yes my friend, even when I am watching television and an alarm clock goes off on the show, it grates on my nerves. I hate, hate HATE the alarm clock.

As with every morning, the cruel modern day rooster started blaring way too soon. I tossed and turned, threw my blankets over my head and thought “Well, I could turn off the offending object instead of listening to it blare in my ear.” So, I did just that.

I then slowly took off the covers and swung my feet onto the rug. A cool morning chill passed by my feet. I quickly rubbed them together to get some warmth back in them and quickly found my pink comfy slippers and slipped them on.

My hair was a mass of tangles as I grabbed my pocket book with all my make up inside and went stumbling down the stairs. I gave a casual grunt to my father as I walked by the kitchen and went into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, I silently gasped. “Wow Ginger, you need some eye liner, dear.” I said to myself as I pulled my hair back into a pony tail and pressed my sparkle gem head phones into my ears and started playing “Whispers In The Night.” By the late Roger Bennett. Something about piano music just gets me in a sophisticated mood in the morning.

6:10 AM
“Ahh, there you are!” I said to myself as I took one more glance at my face, made sure everything was in place and opened the bathroom door. I then heard the most wonderful noise…My adorable baby brother, Jeremy, crying. I rushed to the bedroom and scooped his sleep warm body into my arms. Of course then something waft up my nose but it wasn’t very sweet. After I explained to Jeremy that he needed to have some manners when he was in the presence of his sister I went in search of breakfast with Jeremy snuggled in my arms.

Peach oatmeal made, baby now content in Mommy’s arms, being fed. I sat down with my breakfast, now needing to rush.



6:35 AM
MP3 back on, quickly making my bed, brushing my teeth, getting dressed in my cozy red turtle neck sweater that matched my red nails and my “swish when I sway” black skirt.




6:40 AM
Grabbing my Bible and plopping on the bed I fingered through the pages of the Word. Right here is not a very strong point in my mornings. That, I am trying to work on. Giving myself only an hour to get ready before I leave does not leave much Bible reading time. I do most of my reading at night but, I always read in the morning as well, not getting much out of it in my haste.

But this morning I turned to Psalm 61 and started reading in verse one. When I got to verse three, a verse I have read many times before, I stopped. I paused my busy morning, I forgot about time and I read it again and again and even again “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a stronger tower from the enemy.” I thought about how I could use that verse through out my day when little things happen. Not necessarily a bad guy coming into the school or anything like that, but the enemy of sin, the enemy of annoyance and lack of patience, the enemy of tiredness and laziness. The Lord is my shelter and I should cling to that truth and not fall into these easy sins.

6:50 AM Sitting in the nursery having mom French braid my hair.

7:00 AM
Out the door with tea, school bag, purse, teacher teddy bear, story books for my class room and a lunch box full of snacks.

7:40 AM
Looking at the class picture that was taken a few weeks ago and arrived yesterday. Hanging picture on the door.

7:45 AM
Looking at class picture with a friend who is the 2nd and 3rd grade teacher.

7:50 AM
Setting a teacher parent conference up with a parent.

8:10 AM
Welcoming students and complementing them on all their different Teddy bears (In honor of learning T and B we brought out Teddy bears to school with us)

8:30 AM standing at the kidney shaped table with students all around singing “My Country Tis OF Thee”

Skip a few hours….Bible, Restroom breaks, snack, (For me, much needed coffee minute) Phonics….

11:30 AM
Lunch time. Tuesday is our lunch special day. That meaning I don’t have to make a lunch for myself. I always jump on that band wagon and so do a lot of my student’s parents. Holding hands, plates of Sloppy Joes, cups of lemonades while balancing brownies on my head is quite a talent I proudly speak of. But it also gets a little tiresome especially when that yummy sloppy joe has not been touched because you are too busy cutting up sandwiches, getting napkins, running to the kitchen, grabbing dish clothes, running back to the cafeteria, mopping up spilled lemonade and getting a migraine when one student accidentally flings sloppy joe at another teacher….

12:30 PM
Eating cold lunch at my desk while talking to friend/fellow teacher before students come back from recess.

Writing, reading time, Math, work pages, play time…

2:15 PM
Getting ready to go home, putting class pictures in folders, bathroom breaks, picking up teddy bears, last minute hugs…

2:30PM
Dismissal

3:00 PM
Bugging dean of administration along with two fellow elementary teachers (very good friends of mine) over how bad our individual pictures look on our new school ID’s.

Many hours of working on school stuff.

6:30 PM Shopping in Wal-Mart, holding Jeremy, kissing his warm head and smiling at Jeremy’s on lookers.

7:40 PM Getting very tired, looking at clothes in Marshals, time to go home.

7:50 PM Putting Jeremy in his car seat while mom puts the stroller in the trunk with dad. Well, dad wasn’t in the trunk with the stroller he was helping mom put the stroller in the trunk. However, when I was putting Jeremy in the car seat as he was screaming for his bottle, I broke my nail.

8:00 PM Late supper. Took pictures of my messy room, for like the greatest room designer ever! ( Good friend has graciously offered to help me redesign my room.)

9:00 PM Headed on to big Moe (AKA the old family computer) to start documenting my day.

9:30 PM Mom and baby come upstairs to visit.

10:30 PM Still documenting….

11:22 PM (That would be right now) about to end this super long post. I guess I should mention that while I documented, I also showed my mom yesterdays post and the comments. I then held Jeremy, checked my Facebook, wrote a status and asked someone to be my friend, checked my mail and checked some blogs…etc.

Now, I am going to end this post press “Save” Cry if dial up freezes and won’t let me save. Brush my teeth, ready my Bible, turn on my heated mattress cover and fall fast asleep.

And there you go. A day in the life of a k-4 teacher with a broken nail!

HA! And you thought I was finished…

2:19 AM “GINGER!” “Hmm?” “GINGER, WAKE UP!” I knew I had a day off on Wednesday so knew I didn’t sleep through my alarm. So why is my sister from the next room screaming my name?” I quickly turned over to look at the alleged alarm clock and read the time. I then knew what must be wrong…

“Ginger! Wake up! Thumper (Our cat) has a mouse in my room! Come here!” “What do you want me to do about it?” “Ginger! Call Aaron!” (Our younger, stronger brother) “Aaron!” Poor sleep deprived Aaron came stumbling in my room. “What?” “A mouse!” I said getting a little more excited since I just saw the sad looking rodent stumbling in my room. Aaron grabbed an empty peanut container captured the victim and then I fell back to sleep.