Tales of a Teacher

  Ahhhh, lesson plans. Love them or hate them, they are a part of teaching. I mean, you have to know what you are going to teach the kids. I have to admit that I used to really love creating my lesson plans. I would research amazing lessons and make all kinds of materials to use in the classroom. A lot of my weekends were spent writing out lesson plans.  And some would work out exactly how I imagined it would, while some would be a bomb! It all depended on the class. I had some lessons go great one year and then the same lesson does horribly the next. Over the years, you learn to tweak as you are teaching. You learn how to gear your lesson towards your audience. With different schools came different principals. I had principals who wanted a copy of your lesson plans in their mailbox every Monday morning. Others wanted it displayed on the top of your desk and they would come and check each week. Still others didn't care and didn't want to see them, as long as you were doing wha...

Over the last few weeks, I'm sure that there has been a lot of bulletin boards being put up in schools around the country. I was a geek when it came to bulletin boards. I would really get into it, looking up Pinterest ideas, checking Facebook, and even asking what other teachers thought. My mom is creative, and she would often suggest ideas for me to use in the classroom. She had been a preschool teacher for a while when I was in school.  I took pride in my bulletin boards...I would spend hours researching the best, most eye-catching boards. At one school, they would have contests where teachers and students would vote on who designed the best bulletin board. I won a few times. The seasonal boards were the best, but I also loved the boards where you could showcase the work of the students. I'll leave you with a sample of my work.......this was when I worked in a catholic school.  

Tales of a teacher is a new blog about the experiences of a teacher. It is funny, sad, and interesting. I would love people to follow my blog, and I would be interested in following other bloggers. How do you go about finding other blogs to follow? Any help would be appreciated.... thanks!

I was a teacher for many years on and off. Just recently, I decided to become a tutor. I thought it would be more helpful for me to work one on one with a student. As I hopefully build my business, I want to continue to blog about my past experiences. So, please read my blogs....they are funny! I also wanted to remind you to tell parents about my tutoring business. I have been working with some students this summer and have really enjoyed the work. Getting to know these kids has been interesting and fun. By focusing on one student at a time, I'm better able to help them and guide them to be better. I hope to continue my tutoring.  Thank you!!!!

  As a teacher, part of the job usually involves signing up for some sort of committee. I was in charge of Grandparent's Day. That was fun for me because I had just become a grandparent! I made flyers, got an actual red carpet, wrote up a program and got ready for the big day. It was usually always in May, so Spring was in the air. We put tablecloths on the lunch tables, broke up fabric flowers and spread them on the tables. People donated cookies (lots of beautiful cookies), we offered coffee, lemonade and water. Each class performed a skit or sang a song, and the grandparents ate it up! Often, a tour of their grandchild's classroom was conducted. It was always a great day! I always enjoyed the day, and I think it's important. I heard some people telling me that the day is silly, and some schools have gotten rid of it. Why? Grandparents are an important part of childhood. And for the students whose grandparents have passed, we pray and do a remembrance.  Keep Grandparent...

  Now that school is back in session, it got me thinking about all that teachers really do. I'm talking about the meetings, the preparation, the in-services, and the trainings, Teachers work a lot, and they do much more than just teach a class. They do have to learn too. Some teachers have families of their own who are also heading back to school. There's a lot going on at this time of year.  I remember the feeling of getting everything organized and labeled. Of decorating my room just right, meeting parents and kids on that first day and thinking that this was going to be the year that I got everything right. That I was able to make a difference in a kid's life.  It's a busy time for sure but also a time for hope for the future. Never forget what a teacher does for your child each day. They work hard. 

  Because I moved a lot when I was younger, I had the chance to work in both city and country schools. When I first started out, I lived outside of Philadelphia. I student taught in the city, and it could be challenging. At one school, I was told to park my car where I could see it from the window. When I asked why I was told that it may or may not be there when I finished for the day. There were some schools where our parent attendance for open house was 0. That's right, 0.  Recently, I worked in what I would call a rural school. There was only 1 teacher per grade. Everyone knew everyone else. Some of the teachers attended the school themselves and their own children attended the school. There were farms all around us and on one pet day blessing, we even had a family bring their horse.  There really is such a thing as city vs. country. They are all unique. But the one common factor about both kinds of schools is their love of the children and how invested they are in the...

  Workplaces are full of drama. Schools are about educating young minds, but they are also workplaces and therefore, there can be drama. Over the years, I have seen quite a bit of soap opera moments. One of the schools I worked for was all about secret affairs. The married preschool teacher was secretly meeting the custodian in the early morning before staff arrived. But eventually, someone saw something, and the secret was out. They didn't end up together but there was a divorce. Even the principal got involved by having an affair with the married guidance counselor. That one wasn't so secret. Everyone was guessing and talking about that one all year. When the school year ended, there were 2 divorces, and nobody was together.  There have been drunken parent pickups which resulted in police involvement, fights between teachers and administration and even surprising resignations. Happily, none of these behind-the-scenes dramas had any effect on the kids. I guess when people wor...

  Classroom parties are part of school life. I remember parties when I was a kid. But they do change when you become a teacher. Fun? Sure, but a lot of work. First thing that a teacher has to do is choose a homeroom parent. In some schools, this is a coveted position. I've had parents fight over getting that job. But a homeroom parent does come in handy. I've had some great ones. They decide a theme, gather all the volunteers, and make sure that there are goodies, and sometimes a game or art activity. Most of the time the parties go well, and the kids have a great time. The hardest party of the year is also the most fun. That's Halloween. As a teacher of younger kids, it was always my responsibility to make sure that the kids were dressed in their costumes. Those included buckles, zippers, things to tie, and sometimes makeup. At most of the schools that I was working in, we had a Halloween parade. The whole school would march through town, showing off their costumes. The ch...

  I know many teachers who are actively participating in open houses today. Open houses are exciting and stressful. Is your room ready? Did you remember all the supplies that the kids need? Are you familiar with the new curriculum or subject series? Are your ice breakers and lesson plans ready for the first few weeks? And that's just the teacher's worries. The kids have their own worries for sure. And most of them are a little sad that the summer is coming to an end.  So, today's blog is all about those beginning days of school. The fears, the anticipation, the meeting of old friends and that feeling of getting back into a routine. I wish every teacher and student the best of luck and pray that it is the beginning of a great year!!

  If you're a teacher or really, any working person, then you know about meetings. As a teacher, there are so many meetings, even in the summer. Every job has meetings. My husband, a truck driver, has a once-a-month meeting and my daughter, Manager of Jersey Mike's has a meeting every week. It's a part of many jobs. I especially know about teacher meetings. The last year I was teaching, we had a monthly meeting. But a lot of times, other meetings were put in your schedule, like a math workshop or a grade level meeting. These monthly meetings would take about 2 hours, and it would seem to stretch out forever. I understand that we teachers need to know what's going on but honestly, a lot of the meeting could be an email. Some teachers would be texting each other during the meeting, while a lot of the others were drawing in their planners. The worse meetings are the ones at the beginning of the year. Are they needed? Well, yes, sometimes. We all need to know of any changes...

  I was volunteering teaching Sunday school one year when I got a call from a principal wanting me to come in for an interview. I had been searching for a new teaching job, so this was a miracle, and I jumped at the chance. I found out that I would teaching a combined fourth and fifth grade class. I was offered the job and took it. I had 4 fourth graders and 4 fifth graders. It was an amazing class, and I learned how to teach two grades at once.  One of the best things about that school was the staff. They were wonderful and we all formed great friendships. But we all knew that the school was on its last legs. There were only 26 students in the whole school. It was a catholic school, and we knew that the diocese would not be keeping it open for too much longer. Sure enough, the announcement came right after Christmas vacation that the school would be closing at the end of the school year. Since I had only been there for that year, I didn't feel the extreme sadness that some of...

  Over the years, I have worked in several different Catholic schools. There is always a priest and there is always a Mass at least once a week. As a teacher in a Catholic school, one of your duties is to take your class to Mass. When you are teaching little kids, this can either go well or go crazy pretty quickly. Usually, the priests in these parishes are used to the school masses and find pity in their hearts for us teachers who are trying to keep the kids quiet and still. But there are the exceptions.  One year, I worked in a school with a priest who just didn't seem to care much anymore. The school was on its last legs, and the parish had dwindled down to almost nothing. As a matter of fact, the school did close for good that year. On one Mass Day, I took my fourth-grade class to the church. We sat in the pew and the Mass got started. The priest came out and led us in prayer. When it came to the most sacred part of the Mass, the priest was saying the prayers, when all of ...

  Teaching in Florida was quite an experience and one that I will never forget. So many things happened, good and bad. One year, the President of the United States, who at the time was President Bush, notified our school that he was going to be coming to town for a fundraiser dinner. The home he was going to was down the road from our school. Remember, this was a wealthy private school in a wealthy private community.  We were all excited! Love him or hate him, this was the President. What a wonderful lesson for the students. About a week before, the secret service invaded our school. They checked everything, under desks, every room, bathrooms, you name it. All teachers were asked a million questions, and every volunteer and staff member were examined and vetted. I never realized how much went into a Presidential visit.  Finally, the day arrived. The whole school went outside to the playground where we watched the Presidential helicopter fly above. The student body waved a...

  When you teach little kids, you have to deal with many things during your school day. A lot of them have nothing to do with academics. Little kids need to learn how to hold a pencil, socialize with others, navigate the school, and go to the bathroom. Going to the bathroom can be scary if you are a little kid. Teachers usually have bathroom breaks during the school day and they take the whole class to the bathroom, but sometimes a child just cannot wait for the break. That's when the teacher has to send the child alone. That's when the trouble starts. One year, the kindergarten teacher had a little boy who had trouble in the bathroom. He was having accidents, and the teacher was trying to send him to the bathroom every hour or more. One particular time, this little boy headed to the bathroom. I was teaching in my classroom which was located next to the bathrooms. The boy started yelling in the hallway for help. I came out of my classroom to see what was wrong. This boy was com...

  Many years ago, I worked for a principal who was going through a rough time and started to have a little drinking problem. I was in charge of the fourth-grade dance that year, which was being held at the school event center. My daughter happened to be in 4th grade at the time, so she was going to be there with me. We arrived early to set up the center and get things ready. The principal showed up looking a little rough around the edges. I kind of noticed he looked a little strange but there was so much going on, that I really didn't notice anything too bad. Over the course of the evening, I kept seeing him go to the table and lean down like he was picking something up. The table had a huge red tablecloth on it and the principal kept picking it up. I walked over there and saw him drinking from a bottle of whiskey. By this time, he was getting pretty toasted. I tried to keep the parents away. For some reason, I felt like I had to protect him, but I was angry. At the end of the nigh...

  I admit it.... some parts of teaching are just nasty and gross. When you are a teacher, teaching in the lower grades, you have to expect some icky situations. You also cannot be afraid of blood, snot, and puke. These things happen and they happen frequently. I was usually ok with the blood and the puke, but it was the snot that always turned my stomach. I had one boy that had an ever-running snot problem. No matter what the weather was or what time it was, he always had a nose full of snot. I got to the point where it was hard to look at him. He had a box of tissues at his desk all year. As he moved from grade to grade, he got bigger and smarter. But his nose continued to run! A couple students through the years would develop bloody noses. I had a few who would bleed profusely. I can't tell you how many times my hands would be bloody from trying to help a child control their bloody nose. If blood makes you squeamish, then being a teacher in the elementary ages might not be the jo...

  The fire drill is a part of everyone's memories of school days. They usually happen once a month and they are usually a surprise, even to the teachers. I guess they should be because it's kind of the point, right? Fire drills are always an exciting event, especially when you are a teacher of younger children. As a teacher, I went over fire drills with my class several times. We practiced and they knew exactly what to do and where to go....or so I thought.  On one fire drill, my class ran to the door and went in completely different directions. Luckily, they all got out and they were all safe and accounted for. But I was "talked to" by the principal. I explained that we had practiced the drill but that when that alarm blasted, it was like the kids just went crazy. We eventually got it right in the end. Some little kids would scream and cry when the alarm went off, thinking that it was real. There was a lot of time spent after the fire drill to calm them down. One mor...