A day in the life of a FLES teacher

Just another Manic Monday!

6:50 - I arrive at school. Turn on the computer, check email, figure out what I'm doing in each class today and write it on a post-it. Make sure everything I need is on the cart. Run to the workroom to make some last minute copies. I'm going to start centers in 3rd grade so I'm frantically putting together the last activity.

7:30 - Meeting with my principal about my recent observation. She thinks I'm wonderful!

7:45 - Last minute packing and preparing for the day.

8:00 - It's Day 1 in the rotation so I roll into my first class at 8. We do a QR code scavenger hunt. I give the kids the tough "If you even think about using these ipods inappropriately then you will NEVER get to use them again" speech. One student gets upset about who she has to work with and doesn't follow us into the hall. I sneak back to see if she's still in the room. I ask another teacher to call the behavior specialist to come get her since I can't watch her and the class on the other side of the building. No answer. She calls the SAFE teacher. No answer. Luckily her classroom teacher is in the room with her. But still not the way I wanted to start my Monday...

8:30 - Class is over, ipods collected, and wayward child given a stern talking to. I explain that sometimes in life we have to work with people who are not our best friends.Now it's time for planning! Still working on 3rd grade centers....and then I chicken out and decide they need more work together before I set them free on their own.

9:00 - 4th grade class. Huge group of them are missing thanks to orchestra. Another big group is gone because some parent is tutoring in math and he apparently doesn't know the specials schedule. At one point I make the kids stand up because they are falling asleep - stupid time change!

9:30 - Planning! Email teachers about Culture Night coming up. More copies since I changed the 3rd grade plan last minute. You can no longer see my desk.

10:00 - First 2nd grade class. We practice "How old are you?" I pass back a worksheet (or challenge sheet as I called it) and announce that they have won the challenge. We end class learning the basic salsa step and they dance their way into line and out of the room on their way to library.

10:30 - Second 2nd grade class. I tell them the schedule only to have them inform me they have already had this lesson. So I erase and start over! We start our book pages for a book we are making all year called "Todo sobre mi." I play Marc Anthony while they work.

11:00 - First 3rd grade class. The SMART board isn't working, the teacher informs me. I draw my family tree on my cart's whiteboard instead. I realize I made extra copies of the book we are going to read but left them on my desk. Send a student to go get them while I pass out the ones I do have. She returns and says she couldn't find them. I question her and am convinced she didn't look hard enough so I send two more boys. They quickly return with the books that we need. We read the story and they start the worksheet with comprehension questions but then I notice the other 3rd grade class already filing in their room next door. Time to go to library kids!

11:30 - Second 3rd grade class. We review the members of my family. My teacher heart surges as they ask me IN SPANISH how old each member of my family is and what their name is. This class is why I became a teacher. We read our book but run of time for the comprehension questions because they spent so much time discussing my family earlier.

12:00 - Lunch with my team. I have one kid come to me for his recess because I caught him yelling in the hall during a fire drill on Friday.

12:25 - First Kindergarten class. We sing two songs and dance and then play Diego dice. They are a little squirrely but not bad considering the time change.

12:51 - They leave to go to the library. I roll into my next kindergarten class.

1:03 - The next class FINALLY comes in. We sing the same song but run out of time to play Diego dice. During the last song two first graders come in and ask me if I want a cupcake since it's one of their birthdays. Uh...yes! I almost never get birthday cupcakes so I never turn them down when offered.

1:25 - Planning! Stop in to talk to the curriculum coach about bringing up Culture Night Mini-Unit plans in the teacher's team meetings this week. Last minute planning for the after school program.

1:55 - Sitting in the 1st grade class checking facebook, waiting for the students to show up. They finally do. We continue studying clothing, passing around each item as we say it.

2:25 - Roll my cart back to my office, grab my coat, and head outside for afternoon car loop duty. I remind the kids sternly that they need to be in a straight line at a level 0 while they listen for their car rider number.

2:50 - head inside, another check of email and then head to the STEM lab where I will teach the after school program until 4:40.

5:00 - Head home completely exhausted.