Day 28 Step Into 2nd Grade

Teachers have lives that extend past the walls of the classroom or the building it is housed inside. Students and their parents (and sometimes your administrators) forget that Teachers have families and friends and social lives.  Yes, there are some that can go home at the end of the day with only their purse on their arm.

But most of us leave with a full bag or two or three of things to do at home.  Of course this is on top of making dinner, doing the laundry, keeping the house clean, unplugging the toilet, feeding the chickens, going to the grocery store, watching your children's sporting events and helping them with THEIR homework, giving your husband some one-on-one time, calling your friend or mother (so they know you are still alive and well), paying the bills that are stacked in your inbox or on the desk....

Then comes the grading papers, writing lesson plans, calling a few student parents, finishing your coaching duties for the extra stipend at the high school, and THEN if you have free time... you start creating some lesson plans to sell on TpT or TN or Etsy or surf the blogosphere for ideas to make you better at what already consumes most of your waking hours.

Oh my goodness...by then it is midnight and there is sleep to be had...though occasionally I wonder if it would ever be worth it to stay up all night.  The house would be quiet. Nobody would be asking me to do something...I'm just slightly tempted...but then I remember that I have 1st graders waiting for me at school each morning and the lack of sleep will only give them the upper hand that they deep down have been waiting for -- kind of like when the substitute walks into the room -- they are poised to strike!

Mrs. Lemons at Step Into 2nd Grade reminds me of two things...that teachers do have lives outside of school and that sometimes that life can be tough!  But we still come to school every day with a smile on our face and excitement for teaching our charges what they need to know with creativity and enthusiasm.  Mrs. Lemons will inspire you with the struggles she has had the last few months but that with the Lords help, she and her husband continue to start each day with hope!

While you are being inspired by her personal struggles...be inspired by her creative units she has created.  I like the freebie math center she has posted.  My 1st graders are getting close to being able to do this one.  This quarter we start to dive into strategies for adding double digit numbers.  If you do it right and you do it well...you can end the year with many of your 1st graders being able to do double digit addition with regrouping.  It's all in the Number Sense...and making it fun of course.

Spending money?  They love this idea!  With supporting money posters on the wall, most of my 1st graders will be able to do this.

Candy, cookies, cupcakes?  Well that will get their attention for sure!

This center is a FREEBIE on her blog.  If you want more centers relating to money, she has a whole unit on her TpT store.  

Perhaps add it to your list of things to purchase this weekend at the big sale!