Teaching is Magic.

You have my dental hygienist to thank for this blog.

Let me explain…

I’ve been a teacher for seven years. It started out REALLY hard and REALLY overwhelming. Like there was way too much to plan, way too much to teach, way too many needs not being met, and not enough of me to do it all well. Most days, it still feels kind of like that. Now, my emotional state and my ability to judge what I can manage – deciding what is most important and what can be saved for another day, another month, or even something to strive for in another year – has improved. And so has my sanity. My point is, it’s still challenging work.

For the past seven years, I’ve had a hodge-podge of curricula. I’ve needed to fill in the missing pieces with TPT purchases or my own creations. In my first few years, TPT was my saving-grace. While I hate the idea of spending my hard-earned money on things that really should be provided to me to be able to do my job well, sometimes spending a few bucks was way better than creating it myself when I didn’t have the time or knowing what my students needed but skipping over it because I lacked the resources.

Fast forward a few years. Because of a grant my school had, we partnered with a local university to plan and improve math instruction. With their expertise, it became clear that our district curriculum fell short at following CCSS and meeting student needs. So, most of our math ‘curriculum’ came from planning sessions and our own hard work. Throughout the years, my teammates changed, I shared what I had, and I collaborated with others to brainstorm ways to improve our ‘curriculum.’ I found myself creating math game after math game, lesson plan after lesson plan, and exit ticket after exit ticket.

And now I’m here. I’ve been using and improving those resources for math and continuing to create other necessary resources to fill in gaps in reading, writing, word work, social/emotional learning, classroom management, etc. And now, I think it’s time to share. I’m taking what I’ve done, making it look pretty, and making it clear and easy to use for people not inside my own brain. I’ve opened a store on Teachers Pay Teachers to provide other educators with resources that may make their life a little easier when they find a hole in their curricula (or lack there of) or when they just don’t have the time to make what they know they need for their students. Some are free, some are paid; all are meant to be super helpful.

So where does my dental hygienist fit into all of this?

If you work in education, especially in the primary grades, I’m sure you’ve heard this line before: “Awwww that must be SO FUN!” Or maybe this one: “Oh, I bet they are SO CUTE!” Yes, there are fun moments. Yes, they are cute (especially when they are happy and excited to be doing what it is that you are asking them to do). But there are, of course, many moments that just are not ‘SO FUN.’ And, of course, there are moments of tattling or tantrum-ing overtake the cuteness factor.

So, yes, I had that same-old conversation with my dental hygienist. I’ve got my response cued-up. ‘Yes, parts of it are fun. I really like my job.’ But then our conversation led to what she assumed must be my ‘great work hours.’ (Because, if I’m out when the her son leaves school, then WOAH – I’ve got the whole day left!) But the reality is that I’m not out when the kids leave. There’s so much to do. ALL THE TIME. And here’s the line that finally made it all click: she said, “Really? What do you have to do? You don’t teach high school…do you have papers to grade?” Dumbfounded. How did she really just say that? I have approximately ONE MILLION things to do ALL THE TIME. *Cue where it clicks for me* People who do not spend time in or around the field of education don’t understand what it takes to make it work. If you’re reading this, you’re likely one that gets it, so I won’t list the demands that take so much of our time and energy here. You already know them well.

Back to my answer to that typical response when someone finds out I’m a primary teacher: “I really like my job.” Because I DO really like my job. And here’s where my dental hygienist’s comment led me to this blog.

My job as a teacher is:

Rewarding…yes.
Meaningful…yes.
‘SO FUN’…sometimes.
Magical….there are moments.

Magic….EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Most of the time I end the day and I’m not really sure how I got from point A to point B, how I survived it all in one piece, and my brain is so completely fried that it’s hard to start on all that needs to be done to be ready for the next day. I go in with a plan; I’m organized and I am ready for the day. BUT there are SO many needs all day every. So many lessons to teach, so many individual conversations to have, so many band-aids to give, so many ‘problems’ to help solve. There’s never a moment to stop and catch my breath. Some days, teaching truly feels like.…magic.

Teaching is magic.

Ridiculum Curriclum

Here are some tools to help.

And to my sweet and well-meaning dental hygienist, thank you for helping me see what so many don’t understand:

Teaching is magic.