Things They Don't Tell You in Teacher Ed. Classes

This past week was one of those they never tell you about when you are in college taking teacher education classes. For those of you who thinking teachers go to work at 8 am and leave at 2:30 pm and collect "the big bucks"...think again.
Last weekend was "fall back" weekend, that in itself is enough to create problems for a few days at school because the kids take several days to adjust to the change. Add to that Tuesday was Halloween...that had the kids excited for several days before planning their costumes and a day or two after they are on "sugar highs" from staying up late and eating their candy.
As if those two things weren't enough, at Friendship Elementary we had a week long book fair going on, so the kids had money and needed/wanted to go spend it in the library.
Then the killer day...after teaching all day on Thursday, we had parent conferences that lasted until 7 pm. That meant I left for school at 6:40 a.m. and dropped Hutch off at day care. My day began with breakfast duty (supervising 180 kids in line and eating), then a full day of classes. At 2:30 pm, a local restuarant brought sandwich fixings for us and at 3:30 pm parents began arriving. I left school after 7 pm and helped Jennifer with Hutch and Maggie. Needless to say we all went to sleep right away.
In addition to all the school activities, Lee was out of town, so I stayed at Jennifer's several nights to help her with Hutch and Maggie.
One thing that going back to the classroom has made me wonder about is, how in the world I taught, took care of Jennifer and Clare, cooked (most nights), stayed active if church, clubs and bridge...this year it's all I can do to keep up with the school work...planning lessons, filling out the endless paperwork required by special education law, grading students completed work and take care of myself!
All that said...I really am enjoying being back in the classroom. I find myself remembering the last couple of years that I taught at Belmont and wondering how we did all we did. I do think the year Susan, Karen, Mary and I had the HATS team and the year Karen and I did the castle team were my two best years! I find myself trying to recreate many of those lessons and activities.