Sunday Salon - The Back to School Edition

 The Back to School Edition

How Do You Know You're A teacher?
by Jeff Foxworthy
(condensed version)  

You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line. 

You have 25 people who  accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another. 

You can eat a multi-course meal in under 25 minutes. 

You’ve trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day, lunch and planning period. 

You start saving other people’s trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom. 

You want to slap the next person who says, “Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off”. 

You believe chocolate is a food group. 

You can tell if it’s a full moon without ever looking outside. 

You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, “Boy, the kids are sure mellow today.” 

You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.

You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children. 

You can’t pass the school supply aisle without getting at least 5 items! 

You ask your friends to use their words and explain if the left hand turn he made was a “good choice” or “bad choice.” 

You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils. 

You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer.

You understand, instantaneously, why a child behaves in a certain way after meeting his/her parents.

(This cracks me up. 

Jeff Foxworthy's mom or wife MUST be a teacher!

He is almost spot on.) 

 Outside my window...Oddly cloudy and dusty with the remains of the huge dust storm that planted itself on top of the city late yesterday afternoon. We are calling them haboobs now. I just think everyone likes to say the word. (Sorta like saying damn as many times as you can when you drive over a dam when you are a kid!)

I am listening to.. Sunday morning silence. Translated that means; the fan, some soft music, clicks of keys and other assorted living sounds.

Favorite things from this week..Having teaching stories to share again. First day of school stories usually make it into my journal and are typically noteworthy. Fun little sayings. Counting how many times the kids call me mom. After school we only had 3 little 1st grade kiddos try to get on wrong buses (they just forget and fast teachers and bus drivers fix that fast!!)but one major accident did occur when a 6th grader was walking home. Evidently he walked onto a neighbor's landscaping and hurt himself severely. Of course it was not the school's fault but we get to take over. We rushed him back to school to the nurse, got the paramedics, the police and more. Yep, just a typical day. My principal insists that the First-Day-Fairy follows her! This does make my life a little more exciting than the days of summer when my action takes place at a much slower pace. I also loved going out to eat on the first day of school. Wildflower Bread Company and Changing Hands Bookstore are the perfect calm after the 1st day jitters.

I am thinking..I do NOT like the night before school starts. I lay anxiously awake (like all new 4th graders) and think if all will go well. Yep, still! I am NOT worried. I know what to do, yet those niggling thoughts keep creeping back. Did I remember to get "this" out? Is everything in place? Somehow it all dissipates when I get those fresh faced kiddos in front of me. They crack wide smiles and I love what I do again. First days are fun. I love that we start on a Wednesday and have three days to get into some good routines. Now tomorrow the real work starts.

I am grateful for...great teammates. A wise husband with a listening ear, who lets me tell him my stories and who remembers names. Umbrellas. (You see in Arizona we don't so much use them for rain as we use them to keep the scorching sun off!! It was 116 degrees on the first day of school!)

I am reading...

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

 

 On Bear Mountain by Deborah Smith

 and finishing

Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons

I am loving all of them!! I am on a roll this summer.

I am listing...Lesson plans, goals, baby shower to-do items, and more!

I am creating ..our library/living room! Finally the books are moving to the shelves. The transition from upstairs to downstairs takes a while. But they shine like jewels. I love them. I am in no hurry. 

Plans for the week.. TEACH like my hair's on fire! Baby shower for my daughter. Eagle Scout Court of Honor for my nephew. You know, the usual.