My "Teacher" Side

Today, as I was contemplating what to blog about, I realized that I usually blog about my family life. Now, that is a very important part of my life, but I also spend 8+ hours of each day M-F doing something else. For those who don't know, I am a first grade teacher. This will be my sixth year of teaching and most of that time has been spent teaching first grade. It is my favorite grade by far! Many think it is one of the harder grades, but it suits me to a tee. I have come to realize that teachers are truly "called" to a certain area in education. Nathan is also a teacher but chooses to teach 8th grade English and could not fathom doing my job. We jokingly compare our jobs and compete to decide who has it the hardest. We have come to the conclusion that both jobs are hard for different reasons and no wonder there is always a teacher shortage!
Now, in the spirit of being very positive about my job, which I do love despite a strong desire to apply for the SAHM job in my own household, I thought I would tell some of my "secrets" that many teachers have and the outer world may not know about:

1. I do love what I do despite the pay, long hours, and bureaucrats that make mandates for teachers without spending at least a day in our shoes (okay, that got a little negative!).
2. I spend hours and hours of unpaid time getting my room ready during the summer so that it is just perfect and makes parents and kids feel lucky to be there on registration day.
3. I probably have more teaching-related dreams at night than ones related to family life. The teacher side of my brain must have more trouble turning off.
4. I love new school supplies! I love the smell, organizing them in my classroom, and getting out brand new ones part way through the year just to surprise my students after theirs get dingy.
5. I often find myself tearing up when I see a child finally get a concept they struggle with. I also tear up when they are truly sad about something, when they admit something they did wrong and are upset, and when parents write me nice notes.
6. I get really nervous about the 1st day of school even though I have been there and done that 6 times!
7. Teachers hope for snow days even more than their students and I often stay up late, watching the Weather Channel for any glimmer of hope (especially when I live in a part of AR that never sees snow!). For those of you who wonder why: There is a wasteland of the school year that happens around the middle of January and doesn't let up until we are within 2 weeks of Spring Break. There are no breaks in sight and students get antsy and distracted and we all just need a snow day to relax:)
8. There have been quite a few times in my career that I didn't want to put a child on the bus or in the car and instead wanted to take them home with me and keep them safe and loved.
9. I really don't like standardized tests! It's like trying to fit square pegs in round holes and it is not fair! (okay, sorry, a little negative too)
10. I'm always proud to tell someone I am a teacher and love answering questions about what I do. It is a great job!
So there, my secrets are out! I'm not sure if anyone really reads this blog very often but if you are a teacher, feel free to add your secrets in the comments section.
Good Night!