Thursday, January 19, 2012

A Day In My Shoes

I've been working on this post since Sunday - seriously.  I have just been worn out. I'm hoping that the "sick" day I took today helps.






I'm linking up with Miss Klohn to share what a day in my shoes {these days either my Bog Boots, or black tooled leather Danskos} looks like.

Here's a typical day in my life, I chose Tuesday {just because}

6:00 - Alarm goes off, I hit snooze at least twice {it's still dark}

Somewhere between 6:15 and 6:30 - I actually get out of bed, head downstairs to eat breakfast and read my Bible

7:00 - Shower then get dressed {I usually pick out my clothes the night before}. Check email/facebook/blogs.

7:20 - Blowdry hair.  I have really fine, but thick hair so it takes a while, plus it gets frizzy even if I let it dry naturally.

7:40 - Put on coat and boots and run out to start my car.  One of these days I would love to get remote start, but it's not in my budget right now {it's still dark}

7:45 - Straighten hair {love my Chi!} and finish getting ready

8:00 - Grab my lunch/water bottle/bag {all packed the night before}. Put on coat, hat, gloves, and boots and head out the door {it's still dark}

8:15 - Arrive at school, park and grab my stuff.  Walk in through my teammates outside door {our rooms get really warm so we prop our doors}.  Chat with my teammate and head next door to my room.  Set all of my bags on the lunch cart outside my door and unlock my room.  Walk in and turn on lamps, white lights and scentsy warmer {love this}.  Change out of boots and unpack bags, store everything under my desk.

8:30 - Take my lunch bag across the hall to another teammates room to store in her fridge and grab coffee, chat with her.

8:35 - Back in my room, set out Morning Work {usually a practice sheet}, log in to my computer, check email.  My friend's daughter usually comes over to "do a job" fo me.  Make sure I have everything ready, I usually do. {I make sure I get everything ready the night before}.  Chat with sped. TA when she comes to change out behavior charts for my "special friend".

8:45 - My TA shows up, chat with her and finish getting ready.  Explain the plan for the day, and anything special I need her to do

8:50 - The bell rings and the kiddos start coming in.  they "check in", get out their STAR notebook and hang up all their gear.  Once that is done they sit down and start their Morning Work.  I visit with kiddos, chat with parents, read Sight Word lists with kiddos, remind them repeatedly of the routines. {it's still dark}

9:00 - Morning Announcements come on, remind kiddos to turn their voices off and listen, tell kiddos who can't do this to put their heads down.  When announcements are done, give 5 minute warning for finishing Morning Work and take attendance on the computer.  My TA does lunch count and the Star of the Day takes it to the office and drops off the lunch cart.

9:10 - Turn on transition song, kiddos turn in work and come to carpet for Morning Meeting.  Read message, go through Ashlock routines and charts {phonics and phonemic awareness}. Do Brain Gym  Go over schedule for the day.  During this time my special friend is picked up to go to Resource. {it's still dark}

9:40 - Go over expectations for Work Stations and start rotation 1.  I work with my at grade-level kiddos this time, reading the leveled book from our curriculum.  My TA works with another group building words, playing a game or something similar.  After 15 minutes, clean-up, re-group and start rotation 2.  This time I work with my kiddos who are reading above grade-level. {I meet with my struggling kiddos M,W,F and do Reading Mastery}.  My special friend comes back at 10:00 and joins her group.

10:20 - Clean up and come back to rug, sing a song to re-group and refocus.  Do whole-group lesson from curriculum. {and it is finally light out!!!!}

11:05 - Excuse kiddos to start to get ready for lunch.  Remind them to bring all their gear to their seat to get ready.  Zip up coats, put hats and gloves in hoods, encourage kiddos to hurry up so they can get to lunch.

11:18 - They head out the door with my TA {she takes them to lunch and recess}.

11:20 - My lunch, check my email then head to my teammates room for lunch.

12:00 - Bell rings, head back to my room to wait for kiddos.  When they get back, remind them to go to their seat to take their gear off {not in the closet!!!!}.  Remind kiddos to use the bathroom, get drinks etc. . .  My TA takes off her gear and pulls a small group to the hall to do some intervention activities.

12:15 - Invite quiet friends to the rug to listen to a story {right now we are reading the first Magic Treehouse book - they are loving it!}.

12:25 - Calendar, songs, dancing, counting.

12:40 - Math Whole group lesson.  2 kiddos are pulled by our Bilingual tutor.

1:05 - Line up for pull-out, remind kiddos to use the bathroom.  Walk kiddos to Art or Health {it switches every 2 weeks}.

1:10 - Drop kiddos off and I am free for an hour!  Check my mailbox {for the first time}.  Go back to my room and try and get stuff done. {I'm realizing that I have a lot of specials}

2:10 - Pick kiddos up and go back to our room. Snack time!  Remind kiddos what to do if they don't have snack {for the 86th time}.  Check email while they are eating or visit with them.

2:25 - Clean up from snack and meet back at the rug for Social Studies or Science.  My special friend is picked up for Resource again.

2:50 - Choice time, they get free choice, I use this time to assess kiddos.

3:10 - Clean-Up {to the Imagination Movers Clean My Room}, play Find-It, Fix-It.  Kiddos grab their Star Notebooks and head to their seats.  I go and put a star on their behavior calendar they same color that they were on on the Step Chart.  Once they have their star, they stack their chairs, get their gear and get ready to go.  When they are finished they line up at the door.  Special friend comes back right before the bell, but she gets ready to go in Resource {thankfully}.  Say our good-bye poem and sing "Skinnamarink". As we walk out the door I say "follow me, chickadees!"{and one kiddo always says "we're not chickadees!"}

3:30 - Pick Up, wait outside till all my kiddos are picked up

3:45 - Come in, warm-up and rush around getting things ready for tomorrow.

4:10 - Start my car so it's warm when I get in

4:20 - Get all my gear ready to go, leave and drive to my tutoring job

5:00 - Tutor kiddos

7:15 - Drive home, eat dinner, blogstalk, watch some TV.

10:00 - Pack lunch for the next day, make sure my teacher bag is packed up, take melatonin{to help me sleep}, head up to bed.

5 comments:

  1. I'm so jealous of your start time. I have always thought that starting closer to 9:00 would be better for everyone.

    Jodi
    fun-in-first.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your blog is so interesting! I'm excited to follow a teacher from Alaska. I'm eager to read the rest! (newest follower) Come stop by for some math ideas and activities :)
    ~sarah
    funintitlemath.blogspot.com

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  3. There is no way that I could function in the cold and have to deal with snow and coats! I love Texas too much! It was 80 here today!

    Thanks for linking up!
    Miss Klohn
    Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! I'd love to visit! I can't wait to share with my seconds that it gets light at 10:20 in Alaska! My students are at their exploratory classes at that time. They'll be amazed!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Melly<><

    Stapler’s Strategies for Sizzlin' Second Graders!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi! I am nearly at the opposite end of the globe to you! I live in Tasmania :)
    I loved reading this! Fascinating!

    Liz at sproutschool.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete