Teacher Week: Open House

My husband and I just got back from driving 3200 miles on a fabulous road trip. Seriously, I thought that maybe it was a bad idea to drive so far in such a short time, but we really had a wonderful time at all the cities that we visited and driving together. I had planned on blogging about the first part of our trip tonight, but then I was reading Rachel's blog and followed her link on her blog post to Abby's blog. Abby is hosting Teacher Week so I decided that it would be fun to participate.

Today is Open House day so here my little get to know you in number list form...


1. I have always wanted to be a teacher. No problem deciding my major in college, it was decided on when I was 8.

2. I teach at a Christian elementary school. I feel blessed to be able to pray with my students every day and show them God's goodness that is in everything and all around them.

3. I also happen to teach in the same school system that I went when I was in elementary school. It is in a new building and yes, I do teach with one of the teachers that I had. She was my favorite teacher!

4. This year will be my fifth year as a teacher. I can't believe that it is already my fifth year- it sort of makes me feel old. I have taught fourth grade every year. I love fourth graders, but also wouldn't mind teaching a lower grade- manly because I love crafts and well, you can only make fourth grade boys do so many of those (although I try and push the limit every year). :)


5. I love coming up with themes for my classroom every year. Really, I should probably rotate them at some point, but that would be no fun! This year I'm working on a western theme. Yeehaw!

6. My favorite time to work at school is late at night. It doesn't always work for me to go in then, but especially before school starts and I'm getting my room ready, it is the best time. No one else is around (not that I don't love them, but they get be distracting), I can use the copier and laminator without waiting, and I can crank up the music in my room.


7. Two years ago I got married and invited my entire class that year to be part of the wedding. It took some creativeness to come up with that many jobs for them to do, but everyone had some part in the day: handing out programs, playing their violin, guest book attendant, passing out rose petals... They looked adorable and did a great job. I also had fun planning a mini reception for them at the church.

8. One of my biggest annoyances as a teacher is when it is an indoor recess before school starts. Although that does annoy me by itself, my biggest problem is when the kids come in a half hour before school starts and then ask me why I don't have the schedule up yet or where the morning work paper is. I still have 30 minutes to get ready!!!

9. One of my favorite things about being a teacher...ah, there are too many! One of them though would be listening to 4th graders talk to me or each other at lunch time. (We eat lunch in our classrooms.) They are a lovely mix of loving being a kid and trying to be grown up- it usually is endearing.