Confessions Of A Third Grade Teacher…

Please, don’t judge me, or do… Whatever.

1. We don’t grade everything.

Yep, that’s right we don’t grade every assignment that students complete. Why? Because who has that much time!? So if your student comes home with smiley face on an assignment, it’s not because they rocked it…. It’s probably because:

a) I was too tired to grade it.

b) It was an assignment given by a substitute.

c) I already had enough grades in the grade-book for that reporting period.

2. Recess isn’t for the students, its for us!

When most people think of recess they think of gross motor development, and social emotional skills. Yes, recess is great for developing the above, but lets be honest… It’s not for them, it’s for us! If you stay at home with kids then you get it… A break is necessary! Be it in the form of a nap, a 3o minute episode of their favorite show, or a 20 minute recess.

3. Pinterest guides our lessons.

It’s true, those awesome lesson plans are often stollen  revamped and tweaked from some rock star teacher who posted her info on Pinterest. She really should open up a teachers-pay-teachers account.

4. We don’t teach for the money.

Of course we don’t teach for the pay but, summers and holidays at home off  lesson-planning isn’t too bad especially since most conferences are taken up with ARD’s, PLC’s, conferences, and other meetings.

5. Coffee is our lifeline.

Surviving a day with 38 students requires caffein, a lot of caffein. Before my classroom Keurig bit the dust all of my students knew how to brew Mrs. C a nice cup of joe. Luckily the following semester the teachers lounge was gifted a Keurig and Mrs. Davis down the hall always has a hot pot brewing!

So there you have it, not a complete list of confessions by any means, I can’t give away too many of our secrets… My fellow teachers might hunt me down if I do. Happy Monday folks! Have a good one!

For my fellow teachers I leave you with this, there are only 17 more Mondays in this school year, spring break is only a month away and I’m pretty sure we have a a few Monday holidays in the mix too!

#iswearilovekidsandteaching #keepcalmandteachon

What will you fill your pages with?

New Year’s Day, a fresh start, tabula rasa. You have a new book with blank sheets, and you my friend are the author. What story will you write?

Our society has become so fixated on resolutions for the new year, a fancy way to say things you want to change about yourself…. What if though instead of changing yourself you simply reflected on what you are, who you have become, accomplishments and failures, and then instead of trying to change them, learn and grow from them… What if?

As I reflect on this past year I see good, bad, great, and not so great…. Would I change any of it? Heavens no! My short comings have made me who I am today as well as my accomplishments. Do I want to be better this year than I was last year? Of course!

This year instead of changing yourself, or making a resolution, strive to be better and do better than last year.

Goodbye 2015, and hello, 2016! Here is to past, may we learn from it, and here is to the future. May we take it by storm!

Happy new year my friends! What will you fill your pages with?