A Day in My Shoes - Linkkkky Parrrtyyy Time!!!

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Ok, I am officially giddy because I am joining my very first linky party (I've always wanted to do this)! So, without further delay I will let you in on my very exciting KINDERGARTEN LIFESTYLE!!

3:50a.m. (yes I am crazy) I wake up, stumble to throw on my clothes - making sure I am super quiet and not wake up my husband or my 6 kids!! Out the door I go by 4:15a.m.

I live about 45 minutes from school so I have lots of quiet time to and from work. I use this time to listen to the music of my choice (a premium as a mom of 6). I sing at the top of my voice....well, I gotta do something to keep myself awake at this ridiculous time!

4:30a.m. Stop at McD's for a large Diet Coke and I am ready to continue my drive to school.

5:00-5:15a.m. - I arrive at school .....which is a tad bit scary since I am the only one there when I arrive (yeah of course no one else is stupid enough to wake up that early).

5:15a.m.-7:20a.m. - I prepare for my day. I am not one who can get to work 10 minutes before picking up the kids. I have to have time....Greatness takes time...at least that is what I keep telling myself.:0) During this 2 hour period of time I do many things. I complete lesson plans, I make activities to use in class, and do the "menial" office type jobs required of teachers - uugghh!!

7:20a.m.-7:40a.m. - There is always time for a little conversing in the morning. Teaching can be a lonely profession when it comes to socializing with our peers (I think that is why teacher blogging is so big :0) I chat with others about the latest happenings..

7:40a.m. - I pick my kinder kids up in the cafeteria. I get lots of hugs and stories about the night before. Every once in a while I hear a complaint or two from a student...or a story that contains TMI :0)

7:40a.m. - 8:00a.m. The kids come in the room and put their things away and begin reading. I stand at the door to greet parents and students and take lunch money. After announcements I turn on our morning music and we rock out to Dr. Jean and a couple other FAB songs..

8:00-8:00 We take attendance. I have about 7 students who are bilingual and several of them at the beginning of the year would say "aqui" so there rest of the class kind of picked it up from them....now most let me know they are "here" by saying "aqui"! It's now tradition in our class.

We begin our UPSL (math problem solving). My students are super good at solving addition problems. We work as a whole group, then they partner up to do the problem independently!

8:30a.m.-8:45 - Morning message and calendar. We do both on the promethean board. Kids love interacting with the board.

8:45a.m.-9:05a.m. Guided Reading/Centers - I hold guided reading groups while the rest of the kids go to centers. Throughout the day we also always have 3 kids on a computer using Istation.

9:05a.m.-9:30a.m. Comprehension - wow the things we teach kindergarteners. From genre to nonfiction text features.....They are usually tired by the end of comprehension.

9:30a.m.-10:15a.m. P.E. - my only real break of the day....if I don't have a meeting or parent conference. All the other grades get 2 break....not kinders. NOT FAIR, NOT FAIR, NOT FAIR!!

10:15a.m.-10:35a.m. - Science/Social Studies - yep your right not alot of time.....

10:35a.m.-11:05a.m. - Lunch. I walk them to lunch and help them get their lunches......yes you have to get a vegetable....no ice cream is not a vegetable. I monitor my class and another.

10:50a.m.-11:20a.m. I have lunch. Most years I eat with my kids, but not this year. When I get back to class we are there over 3 1/2 hours straight with NO breaks!!!! EEEKKK!!!

11:20a.m. - I pick up my kids from recess and we come back to the classroom for a drink and a quick break.

11:30a.m.-11:50a.m. - Word Wall and Shared Reading with big book.

11:50a.m.- 12:35p.m. - Writer's Workshop. I do a mini-lesson and then it's time for kids to get their writer's workshop materials, find a quiet spot to write - and WRITE! Writer's Workshop is a quiet, calm time in my room. You will see kids laying in quiet nooks, lights are dimmed, and calming music is on. Kids LOVE this time!

12:35p.m.-1:00p.m. - Phonemic Awareness/Phonics. We are learning about word families now.

1:00p.m.-2:10p.m. - Math - I love using literature in my math lessons. Math is automatically engaging for little learners so it's always a fun time.

2:10p.m.-2:30p.m. Math Tubs time - same as math centers. Kids work in partners and use manipulatives to act out math problems, make patterns, graphs, etc.

2:30p.m.-2:40 - Read Aloud and get packed up! Whew....I am tired!!!

2:40p.m.-3:10p.m. Dismissal - I take out the bus kids and then return to the front of the school to help with loading car kids.

3:15p.m.-4:30 - planning with my team on Wednesdays and Thursdays!

4:30p.m.-5:30p.m. drive home - nice unwinding time from my long day. This ride is quieter than the ride to school!

5:30p.m. I pick the kids up and go home. Cook dinner, get the kids to bathe and do homework. I then jump in the shower myself.

8:00p.m. - Put the youngest 2 to bed.

9:00p.m. - Put the third youngest to bed.

10:00p.m. - Big kids go to bed.

10:30p.m. - I'm in bed and passed out. I have NO problems with insomnia ..... as you can imagine!!

Well, there is my day in a nutshell!!!

How did you like a day in my shoes??