A Week in the Life of an Elementary School Teacher, Day 3

6:00 a.m.
This is me sleeping in. After finishing my laundry last night, I finally got to bed at 12:30 this morning. Six hours of sleep is my norm.

7:00 a.m.
My son and I leave early because he has to retake a science test before school. Good news: this will give me about 30 extra minutes in my classroom before my day begins! In addition to preparing for my day as usual, I use the extra time to file some paperwork and grade some papers.

8:15 a.m.
It's Random Acts of Kindness Week at my school, and the PTO surprises the teachers with bagels in the teacher's lounge. Yum! I love our PTO! As if that wasn't enough, while I'm standing there, my 5th grade teacher walks in! I haven't seen her in about 35 years! When I call out her name, she says, "Jennifer?" Whoa! For a moment, I was blown away that she recognized and remembered me! Then I realize that she is great friends with my 4th grade teacher, who often subs at our school. I'll bet she's mentioned me. Still, I hope I can remember my kiddos when they see me years from now.

8:50-11:30 a.m.
My morning is fairly normal. I teach my normal lessons, deal with the same behavior problems, and work with the same struggling learners. The only times I sit are when my small groups are performing a Reader's Theater or when I am reading a book about endangered elephants, both of which capture my students' attention.

11:30 a.m.
It's barely cold enough to trigger the two most terrifying words for an elementary school teacher: INDOOR RECESS. I usually run to the 2nd grade workroom to escape the din of 125 second graders cooped up in a school building all day, but due to some behavior issues I've been dealing with, I decide to change things up today. I determine to make an investment in a student who may need some extra time with me. I spend the next 25 minutes of my lunch, sitting at the table in my room, coloring with my students. We talk, we laugh, I share my Pokemon index with them. I make a connection. I feel like it's the best thing I've done all week.

11:55 a.m.
I grab a cafeteria lunch and head back to the second grade workroom to finish out my lunch with my peers.

12:20 p.m.
I come crashing back to reality when I discover that three of my students got in trouble at lunch. Indoor recess is affecting them already. It's going to be a long afternoon.

Bathroom break is torture. These kids need to run and play.

12:30-3:00 p.m.
Wiggle, wiggle, giggle, giggle, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy! I resort to GoNoodle, a website designed for "brain breaks." These are an elementary teacher's saving grace for indoor recess days, their only outlet for getting the wiggles out. In between GoNoodle videos, we do Literacy Centers, Math (word problems), and Science (grouping solids of like properties).

3:00 p.m.
I take my kids to Health and prepare to get some work done during my planning period. Unfortunately, another behavior issue uses up the next 30 minutes of my day. Not only does all of my work go undone, but I don't get my students' folders ready to go home as needed.

3:30 p.m.
My entire class hurries back to my room to quickly get their folders after I mark their behavior charts.

3:40 p.m.
Dismissal in the car line. It has finally warmed up a little. I take the last few students outside to wait for their parents. I hope it's warm tomorrow.

4:00 p.m.
I tutor again today after school. This income is very important to me, especially now, as my husband is out of work. Even with this extra money, it's not enough to pay all of our bills. When my husband lost his job, we also lost our insurance. I am fortunate that my district pays my insurance, but my children are now on the state Medicaid insurance. I make so little as a teacher that my salary by itself would probably qualify my son for the Free & Reduced Lunch program. Unfortunately, my supplemental income puts us just over the income requirement.

5:00 p.m.
I spend the next hour talking to another teacher, cleaning my room, doing paperwork, and making a 20-minute call to a parent of a new student.

6:00 p.m.
I finally leave the building. I have been at school for 10 1/2 hours.

6:15 p.m.
Of course, I don't get to go home yet because I have ensemble practice at church and choir practice right afterward. It makes for a long day, but it's a weekly activity that I really enjoy. People say you should take time to do things for yourself, and this is something that relaxes me.

8:45 p.m.
Almost 14 hours after I left my house this morning, I finally make it home. My loving husband has made dinner for us. He's awesome at just throwing things together and making a meal. Tonight it's chicken fried rice. Yum!

I take a few minutes to visit with my daughter, who came home for the evening to go to church. We'll see her again in a week for just one evening and then won't see her again for two weeks. We watch The Flash together.

My husband and son take down the Christmas tree for me. They are my heroes.

10:00 p.m.
I make my final Phonics SMARTBoard lesson for the week.

11:00 p.m.
I blog and talk with my husband for a while before bed. I reflect on the fact that I have passed over the hump. Only two more days this week. Much of this week has been spent trying to develop new strategies to work with a few of my students who have presented me with challenges. I want them to be successful.

I think I will make it to bed at 12:30 again.