Teachers on Summer Break...

Wednesday, July 5, 2017
I saw this photo on Bored Teachers' Facebook page at the beginning of the summer and the image has stuck with me.  It cracks me up because 1) we do sorta act like that and 2) people really are jealous.  Teachers tend to get all defensive about this, arguing that we work 60 hour weeks during the school year and that if we didn't get a break we'd all go insane.  While that's true, it's also true that having summers off is pretty darn amazing!  In the last three weeks, I've visited the mountains, been to the waterpark, chaperoned my youth group at the beach, and spent a long weekend at the lake.  I'm home for a couple of days now just to pack for my next vacation.  Life is good and I'm not complaining!

With that said, even with all the strutting, real teachers never stop think about our students and our classrooms.  More than once over the last month, I've thought about this past year's students, laughing at something they would've found funny or remembering something I meant to share with one of them.  While we do cheer when that last bell rings, it doesn't untie those heartstrings.  And while still thinking about the last school year, I'm also preparing for the next, checking out teacher blogs and Pinterest for the trends of next school year (please, dear God, let them be less annoying than bottle flipping and fidget spinners).  Do I need a focus wall?  How can I make my classroom library more cozy? What Donors Choose grant should I be writing?  What novels do I want to read with next year's class?  Our minds are always going...

Not only do I have trouble slowing down my mind, I also have trouble keeping my wallet closed.  Just today I placed an order with Teacher Created Resources for polka dot border, nameplates, and a couple of bulletin board sets.  I polka dot border EVERYTHING and I must have a stockpile when I walk back into my classroom in August.  Right now, it's free shipping with orders over $49 if you have the latest catalog and the prices on those sort of items really are cheaper direct from the manufacturer rather than through Amazon, as much as I love Amazon.


[By the way, I get asked about those flowers on my front wall often.  I purchased them from Dali Decals on a Living Social deal four years ago.  They still have the exact flowers available at this link.  There are always deals for decal sites available on Living Social and Groupon.]

After I'd already placed that order this morning, I went to Target this afternoon to pick up some other things and they had begun putting back-to-school items in the Dollar Spot.  Furthermore, when I went to the back of the store the Target employees were stocking THE back-to-school section.  I felt like a vulture as I weaved in and out of their boxes and peered over their shoulders, but it was worth it!  I scored the following items...


These are THE best storage for markers for students.  I already have two in my classroom and was excited to snag a third to complete the set.  They don't collect dust and are very sturdy for five bucks.


Not sure if I'm going to use this at Open House or on the first day (they're about 5" x 7") but these were too great to pass up with 24 in the pack for $1!  While I have things like this I could copy, it's always nice to have something ready-to-go and so professional looking.  There are also some $1 sentence strips hiding behind there...you can never have too many!


I have an old schedule pocket chart and of course I've re-written those times every year so long that nothing matches anymore.  This 25 piece set with every subject and plenty of time cards is a great replacement for only $1!  


There were four of these posters in a pack for only $3 and I almost bought a nearly identical one online this morning for $3.49 for only one. Target to the rescue!


Last but BEST... this will be my second year using a teacher planner that I simply picked up at Target for around ten bucks.  Last year's was from a company called Blue Sky but this year this Mead one was calling my name with it's purple cover and cute font.  Is it bad that I thought about writing some big topics for each month in it already?? 

SO...while we know the most of the world is "hating us cause they ain't us" we also know that we're always on the clock in our minds... Even if our bodies are all kinds of elsewhere.  Happy summer break, friends!


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