You Might Be a Teacher If…
Posted by Hope Spencer on 16 Sep 2009 | Posted in: Inspiration and Motivation, Life After School, Meet the Mailbox®, Teachers and Teaching
If you’re a regular blog reader, you know how much I love teachers. Usually, when I meet someone new, I can tell within a few minutes whether the person is a teacher. Teachers are just special like nobody else I know. What can I say? Who else can appreciate a teacher’s job the way teachers do?
Hey, let’s take a step back today and look at the fun, humorous side of teaching. Let’s tell some sweet, positive stories that only teachers will understand. We know who we are and what we do! Let’s hear it for teachers!
To start, I’ll modify a prompt from a famous comedian: You might be a teacher if…
- You tell your husband to use his “inside voice.”
- Your Christmas tree is covered with handmade ornaments–that were made by other people’s children.
- You tell strangers to spit out their gum.
- When you’re in the mall and a child runs by you, you stop him and tell him to walk.
- You can’t remember the last time you read a book that didn’t have pictures in it.
- When you’re in a store, you ask people not to cut in line.
Get the idea? Let’s have fun and share a giggle!
Your admiring blog host,
Hope
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You answer to mom when you don’t have kids of your own.
When your grown up friends ask for a piece of paper and you hand them construction paper.
Everytime you see an electrical outlet with out a cover. You automaticly look for it on the floor.
You might be a Head Start teacher if you see a child doing something, and all you can think is “That would fit under C.O.R. #______.
These are all so cute and funny I might have to make a poster out of some of them!!
I have enjoyed all these responses! I don’t know if anyone else shared these, but….
On family trips or outings I would ask my husband silly science questions, like what would happen if you pushed a can of soda to the bottom of the ocean? My younger son caught on and said, “Mom, you’re NOT fooling us! We KNOW this is really science!” haha!!
Also you might be a teacher if your kids ask you how to spell a word and you say…”Look it up!”
I have taught preschool for many years and I have never found anything as amazing as a group of Preschoolers!!
You might be a teacher if….
Every wall in your house has…….
*a learning chart up for your own children
*and / or every piece of artwork up that your child has ever done…
Hee hee
I love this blog! i’m a first year teacher and i can already see some of these arising! HAHA! my favorite one i have heard is ‘you might be a teacher if you can’t name your own children because you can’t find a name that doesn’t raise your blood pressure!’
You might be a teacher if…
you buy a happy meal just to get the toy for your treasure box.
You might be a Preschool teacher if….
When you see someone struggling to put their coat on you fight the urge to take it from them, place it on the floor and teach them the “reach your hands in the sleeves and flip over your head” motion.
You might be a Preschool teacher if…
your home supply cabinet always has more construction paper than printer paper.
-if you see a teachable opportunity in almost everything.
-if service people are annoyed by you because you stop to make the most of the teachable opportunity.
-if things in your life are themed around classroom themes.
akari
- talking to adults just doesn’t feel right.
- you find yourself “interpreting” what a child with speech issues is saying to his mother
-you add the definition when you use a big word( The magnet will attract, or pull together, the paperclips becomes My herringbone jacket, the one with the little v’s, needs to go to the drycleaners)
- When you tell someone a web address, you spell it slowly enough for a 6 year old to type
You might be a teacher if you won’t eat at a restaurant with a misspelled word… (I’m so hungry
)
You know you’re a teacher when:
you cringe everytime you see an untied shoelace
you automatically turn around out in public whenever you hear “Hey, Miss……..
your memory card on your camera is filled with classroom pictures that you need to get developed
…you watch Spongebob more than “adult” shows, (so you can relate to your students of course :))
…your significant other refers to the local teaching store as your “fix”.
…you spend more time away from home than at it.
…you treat ALL kids like your students.
…you buy toys, but don’t have kids.
If you have 3 large bookshelves at home full of kid’s books
You have a cedar chest full of educational catalogs to use at the end of the year
you get more educational catalogs in the mail than bills
You might be a teacher if…
**you cringe when you see spelling errors on signs, ads, etc.
***you have to stop yourself from correcting other people’s children in the grocery store
***you get excited when you find a great sale on children’s books
- you create little songs to help reinforce basic concepts for your students and your husband knows the tune and all of the words!
You know you’re a pre-school teacher when…
- Everyone pees before you leave the house.
- You check out garbage cans to see what can be
reused or recycled.
- You cut your husbad’s meat or sandwich into small
pieces
…if you LOVE laminating
When you read a story to a family member and you ask them to name the colors and animals in the pictures.
When you move to a new house and have more teaching boxes then clothes.
When you have a collection of kids movies at your house, and you do not have any kids.
When your family gets you gifts that have apples and the ABC’s on it.
When you ask for a mail box subscription for your birthday. And celebrate when your husband gets it for you.
When you turn your iPod on shuffle and most of the songs are kids songs.
When hanging on your fridge is pictures from your students.
When you shop at Goodwill for work clothes because you know that you will get plenty of paint on them.
when there are the same amount of children in your wedding party as people your own age.
When you have a snack person everyday for your college classes and it was arranged by the students (all early ed majors)
Your book shelf at your house has 2 shelves of kids books, 2 shelves of teaching books, and 1/3 of a shelf with books that have nothing to do with children.
You know you’re a teacher when you remind everyone to wash their hands.
You know you’re teacher when you ask your husband, “Would you like to have a snack? It is snack time!”
You know you’re a teacher when you tell your husband “You’re a bully and I don’t llike it”!
Tooo funnyyyyy…..i guess this is why he loves me soooo:)
You might be a teacher if…your own children raise their hand at home during a family conversation!
LOVE IT!
You might be a teacher if…
you use your pet name for your students (My Friends) for everybody else you meet including your own husband!
you cant leave any type of store (i.e. walmart, target and the dollar tree) without something for your classroom.
you smile and immediately love every child you see.
You might be a teacher if…
…you need the attention of your husband and you do the “clap,clap,clap,clap,clap” and wait for him to imitate
…you ask him to catch a bubble in his mouth
…ask him to push his “hush button” and HE does!
You must be a teacher if:
- you’re a thousand miles away from home vacationing in Europe… you’re shopping and suddenly you spot something that would be PERFECT for your classroom!! (You know you’re a teacher when your classroom becomes your second home!?
You don’t throw anything away because someday you might need it for a lesson or teach a different grade.
You see bad behavior out in public and you give them “the teacher look”.
You tell children who are running around in a store to “use your walking feet”.
You find yourself wanting to take out a red pen and correct mistakes in letters and memos that you receive.
You correct your child’s friends grammar when they say me and so and so.
You use proper punctuation, capitals, and full words when texting and emailing.
…You know the locations of all the teacher stores in a 50 mile radius to your house but forget where is the post office closest to your home.
…You have a list of rules hanging on your refridgerator that you review with guests to your home.
…You lavel everything in the cabinets with words and pictures so that it is easy for your husband to put the groceries away.
…Everywhere you go, people ask what is all over your fingers and you reply paint as if it is as normal as nailpolish.
-you eat so fast that you’re finished before others with you begin.
-you get enough napkins at the fast food restaurant for everyone.
You can’t find names to name your own children!
you can’t name your baby because every name reminds you of someone!
you always searching for art lesson every time you make internet connection.
-you have a secret stash of chocolates for when you have “one of those days”
-your husband gets mad when you use your “teacher voice” at home!
-you never know what day of the week it is during the months of June, July, and August
You forget to “go potty” during an entire day because you’re too busy making sure everyone else has!!!
You might be a pre-k teacher if you see a child in public with his shoes untied and you have to stop yourself from stooping down to tie them.
You catch yourself singing a song suitable only for 4 or 5 year old children while grocery shopping. Later in the checkout line, you realize the Thanksgiving macaroni necklace made with your class that day is still around your neck.
You might be a teacher if…
You find yourself playing “find the letters of the alphabet on groceries” in the grocery stores when you run into your students.
When you see your students out side of the classroom and they looked amazed that you actually DON’T live at school.
You might be a teacher if you sing a “wake up” song in the morning.
You must be a teacher if…..
You sing the clean-up song while you are doing the dishes
You need glucosamine in order to get up from circle time
You feel like a referee and policeman
You go to bed smiling at the things your students said that delighted your heart
I think that I am in the wrong profession! I collect acorns and pine cones with the grands! Kids, anybodys, are attracted to be like a magnet and I love it! Always asking anybody for magazines! I collect shoe boxes, coffee cans, anything that you can put something in so that I can make things with the grands!
You might be a teacher if
You are always collecting other peoples junk for art projects.
you are upset that baby food jars are being replaced by plastic.
when you go for a walk you are always stopping to pick up pinecones and acorns,
You might be a teacher if…
you give your husband a five minute warning before it’s time to go somewhere
you find yourself hoping it will be 90 degrees before 11a.m. (so school will close early)
you know more than 4 songs with the days of the week
you get stuck entertaining the children at every family gathering
lesson planning is your life!
When you go home to your husband,(the son has already moved out and grad. from college),and when you speak to him, every sentence has the word “we” in it!!!
> Not uncommon to have people rub your back just to get the chalk off because you leaned against the board, AGAIN!(they just laugh at the chalk across you butt)
>You are very aware that spring has arrived because the boys and girls are playing chase and love is in the air.
> That buying a winter coat means looking for something that has a hood and enough warmth to keep you warm through recess duty. Forget, cute!
> That grocery shopping in the town that you teach will often result in children peeking around displays just to say hi.
> Your idea of a perfect nursing home for yourself has apple wallpaper and they sing all the good old songs. Wheels on the bus, …
> April Fool’s day should never land on a school day
You might be a teacher if…
*You annouce in front of all your 20-something friends that you “have to potty”
*Use the word “bottom” (instead of behind, etc.) in daily conversation
*Your job description includes lawyer, doctor, mom-away-from-mom, prison guard (management), friend, assessor, cook (for snacks), and much more!
*All the jokes you tell to your family come from the 101 Best School Jokes Book (or from popsicle sticks)!
You might be a teacher if….
..you have a cardigan hanging from your desk chair in case you get cold.
..you are always carrying around the latest copy of The Mailbox in your Tote bag.
..you own a Tote bag with children’s handprints all over it - given to you by your parent helpers.
..you own too many tote bags….:)
if your family has ever asked,” Mom can we eat this or is it for your class?”
if your walmart list has more things for your room than it does for your house.
if over half of the town knows you by your last name only, and calls your husband by his first name and you’ve live in the same place you were raised.
if you think a grouchy sales clerk needs a time out, or needs to move their clip.
….. You find paper clips at the bottom of your bag.
…… You can’t name your children certain names because you had a “special” child by that name who drove you crazy.
….. Everything is a learning activity.
If you find children’s conversations more interesting than adults!
If it takes being around children to get you in a good mood!
If you find yourself praying for a snow day!
You might be a teacher if….
you yell ‘no, don’t throw that out’ at the neighbors on trash day…
your home office looks like an explosion happened at a local ‘teacher store’…
…if you have marker on your hands (or clothes!) and it doesn’t bother you
you are definitely a teacher if you go to the hardware store to buy something to fix your house but find yourself wandering, looking at all the neat things and start daydreaming of all the things you could turn it into.
you are definitely a teacher if you go to the hardware store to figure out a way to make something cheaper than it is in a catalog!
I am teacher and people know it, because I have been into some stores and some people just know I’m a teacher, they will say something like where do you teach, or how many kids do you have?
You might have a teacher in your house if you find chalk in your dryer!!
If you see a sign on the side of the road that says “FREE” on a book stand and you stop and load up your car!
You might be a teacher if you always have a neatly folded tissue or 20 in your pocket.
You might be a teacher if you lovingly name your gray hairs after certain students (wink)
You might be a teacher if you hoard shoe boxes, pringles cans, coffee cans and old socks!
You’re asking the doctor’s office receptionist if you could have their magazines when they’re done so you have some in your classroom for kids to cut out pictures.
You might be a teacher if children are attracted to you like a magnet. I teach special education preschool. When I go to a restaurant(fast food) or grocery stores the little kids always look and smile at me! It’s like they know I’m a teacher.
You might be a teacher if you spend your free time searching for free things for your class
…you can turn anything “free” into a teaching tool.
…while shopping over break, you have to ask the clerk what day it is. After all, you haven’t had your daily “calendar” activity time!)
…you’ll let a friend-in-need borrow your car, but think twice before lending out your dog-eared copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends.
…you organize a posse to go with you to the office store in order to follow the quantity limits, yet still secure enough 1 cent rulers for your entire class.
I could go on and on. This blog is too fun! What a great warm-up for anyone leading a peer workshop or staff development opportunity!
By the way, my husband wonders if there is to be a followup, “you are married to an educator if…”, since he resoundingly connected with the part about being told to use his inside voice!
you go to Wal Mart with a sticker on your shirt and a stamp on your hand.
You might be a teacher if you tell a family member, “that was (or was not) a very good choice.”
You can’t help but count heads when out with the family!
Fingerpaint is considered a fashion statement, when you are a teacher.