A Day in the Life of Karine

5:30am Wake up, let dog out and make coffee

5:45 Shower and get ready for day, put on a preggo outfit that feels like pajamas but looks like “real work clothes”

6:30 Get in the car of a family on their way to school to avoid taxi fare (1 whole dollar saved!)

6:45 Arrive at school, am greeted by 18 eager 4th graders standing outside my classroom door

6:55 All 28 kids are in desks and have started reading chapter books of their choice

7:15 Teach Reading and discuss whether city or country life is better, and then send kids to library class with Mr. Lew

8:55 Supervise recess outside, get patted on belly by at least 5 kids coming to say hi to me and the baby

9:15 Pass out English test on What is a Sentence?, reminding students that the word “is” is actually a verb/simple predicate! While students are taking test, I get brilliant and self-centered idea for this blog.

10:05 Math class- regrouping and subtracting across zeros. Tough stuff for some, collective “yessssss!” after each correct answer is read as students either celebrate or pretend they got the right answer and say "Yessssssssss!" thirty times.

10:55 Supervise elementary lunch/second recess outside

11:15 Visit 1st grade classroom to explain that the big mean 4th grade teacher noticed them throwing rocks at lunch and it will not be tolerated. Scare them a bit, but feel a little bad for the kids who weren't throwing rocks.

11:30 Eat lunch in the library’s kitchen/lounge with Tom and another woman who works in library. I have 2 squares of leftover homemade pizza and grapefruit juice. Get caught up on the goings-on of Sarah Palin and the economy from Tom.

12:05 Return to my classroom for a prep period.

1:00 Begin teaching Social Studies (studying the Northeast region of the U.S.) and then meet with 12 student groups about their upcoming science fair projects.

1:45 Shoo kids out the door as the bell rings and begin to meet with parents lined up outside classroom. Several have questions about the science fair projects.

2:20 Sit down at desk, looking at piles of math papers and English notebooks. Tom's Pop Band is providing the background soundtrack to my work as they practice in the All Purpose Room

3:15 Take a taxi home and relax on bed in tv room. End up watching 2 hours of "coverage". (Tom takes following political goings-on seriously. "This could be a landmark day".

5:20 Walk to friend's house in neighborhood to pick up Fisher, Ruby's doggy boyfriend. He's going to stay with us for 2 weeks.

6:00 Feed the dogs and the husband. (Dog food and tacos)

6:30 Spend a half hour catching up with my mom and dad on phone. Learned that my dad enjoyed reading Water for Elephants too.

7:10 Think about grading the English tests I gave today. Thinking I'd probably rather read for an hour or so before going to bed.

8:43 Time for bed. Woo-hoo!

MORE EXCITING UPDATES AS THE DAY PROGRESSES!