Since it’s back-to-school time, I’m thinking a quick warm-up of teacher phrases might be fun! I feel certain y’all have some great ones. What are your favorites?

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My day got off to a bit of a shaky start. I overslept, jumped out of bed, and immediately stepped on my cat’s tail. Not a great way to start the morning!

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I’ve always enjoyed Valentine’s Day! Each year my students would make cute cardholders, and we’d put them in alphabetical order on the window ledge. The kids could hardly wait to deliver their valentines. But what they enjoyed even more was opening all their cards.

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One of the things I miss most about my classroom is the wonderful routine of decorating it to match the current season or holiday. I had so much fun creating the colorful bulletin boards, displays, and window decorations that gave my classroom a timely feel as well as an energizing face-lift.

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As I write this blog entry, the clock before me is clicking closer to 10:00, and that means…snacktime. Every morning I take a short break and refuel. Usually I opt for fruit or a granola bar, but occasionally I give in to my salty cravings and nibble on some chips. When I can, I like to read something light and fun while I snack. It reminds me of snacktime with my second graders in California.

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On my way to work this morning, I was thinking about you—about how you make a difference in your students’ lives each day. Wow. I drive by two elementary schools on my short commute, and I often find myself imagining students’ arrival in each classroom.

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And happy new year! I can’t believe it is actually 2010. Like many of you, yesterday was my first day back to work after a short vacation. For me, it was a conflicting day. While I was eager to get back to work, getting out of bed was very hard to do. Even my dog---my trusty backup alarm---was perfectly content to keep snoozing.

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I’m hunched over a grid, sweat furrows my brow, and my brain aches with the agony of indecision. What could possibly be causing this intense stress and concentration? Why, I’m trying to decide what themes to put in next year’s issues of The Mailbox® magazine preschool edition! I’m only making the process sound stressful to garner your sympathy. I actually enjoy it very much.

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I commuted to work in the driving rain yesterday morning, and when I arrived at the office, I found out that we didn't have any power. There were no lights, no heat, no computers. We were left with nothing but pencils and paper. It reminded me of many days in the classroom.

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It seems as though everywhere I go these days, I see tissues and hand sanitizer. In fact, at a recent dinner, a friend offered me a squirt of hand sanitizer. She didn’t even have to open her purse: the sanitizer was connected to her purse by a small cord. I couldn’t believe it—there is a special purse attachment just for combating the nasty germs that are going around! How convenient!

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