Most people who want to TELL teachers how to teach, wouldn't last A DAY IN OUR SHOES.....

A Day In My Shoes LINKY PARTY!

I came across this linky party a week ago but as you will see, after reading about a typical day in my shoes, fitting it all in can be a small challenge at times! 

So here it goes. I am NOT a morning person but:

6:00, 6:15, and 6:30: My alarm goes off and I hit snooze...

By 6:40ish and I am finally up and I am done my morning routine by 7:20ish....

I leave for work by 7:25ish and if it is Thursday I stop at Dunkin Donuts for a large hot coffee, extra sweet, extra light (this is a significant change, a month ago I had was stopping their daily...). I get to work by 8ish (we have to be there by 8:10). Some of my co-workers get there much earlier but I much rather stay late than come in early. By 8:20 I am picking up the kids from the yard (if it is below 32 degrees I am getting them from the auditorium). We have breakfast in our classroom from 8:25-9:00. During this time I have students set up brekfast, take roll, clean up breakfast and quietly read for SSR while post the daily objectives, straighten my desk (yes I just got here and yes I clean it before I leave work the day before). Depending on the morning this is a fairly quiet period ...I can usually gauge the type of day I am going to have based on how quiet they are. Announcements are made and the pledge is done at some point before 9:00.

At 9:00 the students transition for correctives. From 9:00-9:45 we have Corrective Math and from 9:45-10:30 we have Corrective Reading. These are intensive learnig periods where students are grouped by levels and given direct instruction for remediation. (I HATE IT, but it is a neccesary evil). By 10:35 (I quickly tidy up my desk) and my original class has returned. They take out their paper trail or reading log so that they can respond to our current read aloud. I read for about 10-15 minutes (right now I am reading Frindle. I recentley finished The Hunger Games and I read On My Honor the first two weeks of school). Students are given about 7-10 minutes to respond to what they've heard. By 11:00 I am teaching reading comprehension using our interactive notebooks. I use the Imagine It series...I teach word structure, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies using the current story. I end this lesson with an exit slip and/or constructed response. By 11:30/11:35ish we move into our workshop activities (small group activities) and I pull small reading groups for guided reading. By 12:00 we start math workshop. This is usually a review sheet from the previous lesson or skills that they need additional support with. They can work with a partner (some students hav peer tutors) and/or have mini conferences with me to go over something they are having a hard time with. I like to use teired activities for math workshop so that some students have a more challenging/less challenging activity  based on what they are able to do and/or need to practice with. By 12:40ish we begin cleaning up (usually because we hear the other classes in the hall on their way to lunch). We hurry up and get ready so they can get to lunch on time (12:45). I straighten up my desk and eat lunch (and yes I am one of those teachers that pack my lunch everyday and must eat lunch everyday). Depending on the weather my lunch ends at 1:15 (32 degrees or lower outside or it's raining) or 1:30 (they got to go outside for recess). If lunch ended early, I usually have recess in the class for 15 minutes (board games, etc.). By 1:35 we are back at doing math. This is where I teach a new mini lesson and they get guided practice with the new skill and some time for independent practice (this is when I make my way around the room with my magic pen). By 2:15 they are packed up and ready to go to their special (gym, music, etc.). The are dismissed from their special so technically I am done for the day. During this time I am usually cleaning the room, sending out text message daily reports, updating anecdotal notes and/or making phone calls. Sometimes I also have a student with me who might need to "spend some time reflecting on their day" with me. By 3:00 I am ready to start marking papers, getting ready for tomorrow's lesson, making copies, updating my data binder, and/or depending on the day, beginning my plans for the upcoming week. If I have a network meeting (for Need in Deed, the best teacher network on earth) than I am out the building by 4:15 (and all of the work mentioned in the last sentence comes home with me). If I don't have a meeting, I leave work by 5/5:30 and I might head to my study group meeting (depending on the day). I am usually home by 8:30 if I have a study group meeting, if not I am home by 6ish. I might cook (not likely) or pick up something on the way home (very likely) for dinner. After dinner,  I check email, facebook, Pinterest, my blog, and create some kind of something that I am working on for my class (developing a project or activity, workshop activity.....etc etc etc)....ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I am usually in bed by 11:00ish12:00....I turn on Golden Girls and fall asleep INSTANTLY. And this is a typical weekday.....My weekend is another story!! 

Are you wondering where science and social studies are? Well, I alternate the two (depending on the story for the week) and integrate it into my reading lesson. It may not seem like it fits, but I actually get to it more often than not. 

And this is why I need at least one day off national holiday to celebrate a month....! What does your day look like? I love hearing about how others space out their time because I always feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day!!! Link up to this party at The Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher.