An Email from “That” Parent. . .

Why? Why? Why? We have too many days before the end of school. I am trying to NOT think about how you come across in email and/or in person. I’m trying to keep my professional cool, but when I see an email pop up with your name, my heart rate increases because it’s never a good reason. Writing a second or third email in the space of an hour or two does not quicken my response time since I am teaching students and not on my email. Ooh, sugar! Your attitude has seeded my attitude with a reluctance nigh unto stubbornness to answer you in a hurry. Nope, sugar. You will receive emails in the 22nd or 23rd of a 24 hour turn around. Forever. Apparently talking to your student in a way that doesn’t bring the kiddo down is just to much to ask. Shame on you, sugar. Now leave me alone. – RLT

Me and Mrs. Jones

“But you put yourself in contact with me,” said the woman. “If you think that the contact is not going to last awhile, you got another thought coming. When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. This is from Langston Hughes’ short story “Thank You, M’am.” Some of my young charges have put themselves into contact with my life, and that contact is going to last awhile. For many it will end on May 17, 2024. For others it may be sooner if their parents get a new house elsewhere, or they may be checked out the last few days of school to go overseas.

Each year provides challenges. Some of those challenges have been turned loose without proper guidelines–keep your smart remarks to yourself, do as asked correctly the first time, or just be quiet when it’s time to be quiet. Each year provides joys. Those joys bring positive thoughts and the anticipation of working with them again. “I wonder if Jim Bob knows about his favorite athlete coming to the Whataburger next month. . .” And one looks forward to sharing the lives of students with small conversations like this one or perhaps commiserating over a favorite team’s success in the NCAA tournament or cricket test match. I stumbled across some photographs of students watching the NCAA tournament with me during lunch. They brought their friends, ate their lunches and talked trash about the teams. I loved it. We were simply sports-loving humans for a few moments in time, not teacher and students. I will believe to my dying day that those few moments invested brought them insight into me as a human being–not just the teacher who assigns us homework in social studies or dons the mantle of hallway cop and eyeballs the naughty ones who keep running despite multiple warnings. I’ve included a photograph of one version of “the look.”- RLT

You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog

Cue Big Mama Thornton and Elvis Presley. It is that point of the year when I hound students about their grades. I reached out to the parents of absentee students via email. “Please send your child in to make up the test during tutorials.” Nope. I pulled them during our Advisory time. I sent text messages (via Talking Points) asking for students to retake a test with me after school on Wednesday or Thursday. One parent said her child forgot. Other parents’ responses? Crickets. Less than ten of my eligible students took the opportunity. I will make an announcement in class, send a Remind text/email, and have it written on my whiteboard and initial slide they see when they enter the classroom. I will still have students claim they didn’t know. When we are in another unit as the marking period ends in four weeks, the adage my uncle said will hold water. The time for cookies is when cookies are passed. – RLT

The Bun of Despair

I had managed a good hair day only to be foiled by drizzle mist. I have morning duty. Outside by my choice. C’est la vie! – RLT

Before the “Bun of Despair”

The Real Life Teacher on Duty in her Granny Rain Scarf

I’m Missing Something

I agonized over today’s lesson and wanted it to be perfect. Two hours of work. It’s perfect. Sigh. I normally walk four or five days a week. It totally improves my mood and more importantly, it’s time spent listening to the Bible and praying. LORD, I will be bending Your ear tomorrow on our walk together. Thank You for walking with me today. -RLT

I Get It

For those teachers who had to report to school Tuesday with students, I get it. On Monday night, you had to turn on your alarm to get up, set up the coffee maker, pack your lunch, pack your children’s lunches, find something to wear, open 50 emails, look at the seating arrangements for your best class and your most challenging class, and you had to take a breath to regroup. If you teared up a bit, I get it.

For those without students, your routine is similar, but you may in meetings, making copies, having a last leisurely lunch like an adult before staying late this afternoon to tie up a few loose ends. Oh, and you have to establish your mandatory tutorial schedule for the ones who didn’t make the grade for the marking period. You might even call the parent who left that five minute VM about the assignment their child never turned in before the break. She’s ten of your fifty emails, and she’s looped in your principal and superintendent for good measure. Take another deep breath and pray before you pick up the phone. Touch base with your admin to get guidelines since Mad Momma has gone there. If you had to close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and then sigh and walk to the front office to have a word, I get it.

And then there’s the group still on holiday wondering how two weeks has slipped by. The first week went by at a leisurely pace with no thought of which day of the week it was. This week, one marvels to see it is Wednesday. Five days from now will mean the back to work routine you had almost forgotten. Until then, read a book, trim the hedges, rake a few leaves, sip a hot cup of tea or hot cocoa, and savor your silences. Play the board game with your kids. Turn on your Christmas tree one more time before you take it down. Call your best friend just to say hi. Declare one of the days left as pyjama day. I get it.

There are some still with time left who have been creating activities, setting up email drafts, and doing some administrative work so that they are ready to hit the ground running on the first day back the doors open. You don’t want to be caught unawares when some new wrinkle comes your way. You’ve used some of your holiday to be creative since the regular work week makes you create at odd hours–after work in the building until 6:00 P.M. or perhaps a brilliant little insomniac-inspired session at 3:31 A.M. I get it.

Some return today with joy and a smile. You are ready to embrace the new semester. Your room is prepped, you’ve played your favorite songs on your personal playlist, and your coffee was prepared just right this morning. You’re ready to hear the students’ tales of their holiday or to hear their silence as some students are so sleepy the first day of the second semester. Enjoy your first day back. I get you, too. Blessings! – RLT

Christmas Break 2023

Today is the fifth full day of my Christmas holiday break. I am drinking my second Tervis travel sized glass/mug of coffee. It was sweetened with a package of Ghirardelli’s hot cocoa that one of my students gave me. Delicious! I’ve enjoyed time with my parents and sisters as well as watched movies and murder mysteries with my family. We like Midsomer Murders. The movies I binged were the original three Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. There are loads laundry that can be washed during daylight hours. There are blankets to cover my cold toes when I am reading. There are online menus for my favorite takeaways. Life is good. I am grateful for a respite. I listen to my favorite radio pastor Alistair Begg using my Truth For Life app. I can drink my coffee at a leisurely pace. I am grateful I can watch some gridiron action and hear commentary from Mama. She doesn’t believe defensive backs, cornerbacks, or safeties should punch out the ball. She wants them to actually tackle the runner or receiver with the ball. I’m with Mama on this one.

I found this picture from Bored Teachers and had to share it. I have no affiliation with them other than being a fan. You know this graphic rings true. Much love! -RLT

The White Stuff in my Hair is not Hair Product

This is my twenty-ninth year on the other side of the desk. I am one of those ladies who does not colour her hair. The LORD paints my hair with wisdom streaks. I increase in number each year but don’t always notice the progression unless I look at photographs or hold a hand mirror to check the back of my hair in the large dressing mirror as I examine my “coiffure” before departing for the day. That is not hair gel, curling souffle, or just plain old dandruff. Those are my wisdom streaks. – RLT

RLT’s Memoji 11.20.2023

A Weekend After a Weekend

I feel I need a weekend after the long weekend. I graded some work, updated my online gradebook, reached out to students with missing assignments, and updated my LMS (learning management system). I also wrote a test, a review game, and managed one solitary load of laundry the entire three day holiday. Monday found me without makeup and frustrated because my new-to-me database wasn’t showing me my folders. I have not made time to research, and now it’s after 10:00 at night. The good news is my passes for my kids to take their tests are ready, I managed a load of laundry today, I put items in the online grocery cart for pick up another day, and I think I know what I am wearing tomorrow. I’ve also been in touch with a couple of parents and saw a few trends with a student or two. There are make-up assignments that await my attention; however, they are at school. The best news is I won’t be up at 1:30 A.M. thinking about my “to do” list. I can sleep on through, if You say it’s okay, LORD. Good night. – RLT

The Nitty Gritty

Devilish details shorten my sleep time. I have awakened at 2:38 A.M. with a brilliant idea or insight about how to take care of the nitty gritty–those details that can only be worked out when something else occupies your time. In this case it’s sleep. I solved one of those thorny little problems tonight before turning into a pumpkin. Now I will rest better. – RLT