The Forgotten Lunch Blessing

Since I've been in school, Thursdays have always been one of my favorite days. I know it sounds weird, but to me, it was the day before the weekend began so it was full of potential and hope. As a teacher, it's been much the same. Now that I'm in elementary school, it is even more so. Thursday afternoons my class has PE and it's the one planning period I get...all week. It's amazing what you can get done when your classroom is empty.

Thursdays are also now the day I have a student teacher in my room. I was willing to let her handle the day after talking with her yesterday. They were taking two tests, so there were only a few lessons to be taught and she was more than wiling to do it.

This morning my mind was racing with all kinds of ideas for all of the "free time" I was going to have. I packed my laptop, a book I'm reading, and wondered how else I would spend my day.

While they were doing math first thing, I sat at the back table to observe. In all of my glorious planning, I ignored the fact that I'd be teaching the teacher even when I wasn't teaching my class. While they set to work on math, I got caught up on some grading. By the time I got rolling, the math books to be checked started stacking up. I offered to help check them, so she could work with the students having trouble.

As they began their tests, Felicity's teacher popped by to let me know she had forgotten her lunch and she was pretty upset. That was a first for her. She's been so great at remembering, I don't have to remind her. In fact, for the last week or two, she's been packing her own lunch. Nobody was at my house, and I had someone in my room, so I scooted home to pack her one. 

While I was there, I also threw something in the crockpot for dinner. I spent a grand total of about 15-20 minutes including driving back and forth. Have I mentioned I live less than a mile from where I work? That felt like a big blessing - getting a home cooked meal going and grabbing a lunch that would make my first grader happy.

By the time I got back, test one was finished and test two in process. I went over how I grade them and then pitched in to get them done. The afternoon went pretty fast.  I finished up the tests, recorded them in my grade book, and by the time I finished, it was time for them to go to P.E. 

P.E. is usually the time when I get my plans ready for the following week and gather supplies for my art class on Friday. By the time I got that done and went over the day with the student teacher, it was time for them to come back in and leave. 

Ah, the best laid plans...aren't always what happen. The good news is that I got everything done that needed to get done and I didn't fall any farther behind.

So, today I'm grateful to know that somewhere inside of me still dwells hopeful optimism. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have an impact on a future teacher. I'm also grateful that my family had a good meal because Felicity forgot her lunch.