https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 05 Nov 2026 23:14:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344922 Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:57:03 +0000 Mrs. Taco 1344922@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilteacherbee: Good luck! Hope you're having a great day with your kids and the separation from LO isn't too bad :heart: </p> <p>@Happygal: Thanks for the link, definitely going to check it out!</p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: @spaniellove: This is a great idea....I have some wonderful past students who would love to help. Since I'm starting my day later, I'll be staying later, so kids can stay after with me and help out. Definitely going to make this part of my routine. </p> <p>@JoyfulKiwi: I hear ya about a hard line....our 1st period STARTS at 7am, add in a 30 min drive and daycare drop off, I was a mess those first few weeks. Now that I can come in at 730 and work later, I think I'll be better off. I totally got the 'bitchy' thing before...I am that person in the meeting that (kindly) refocuses everyone. There is nothing worse than sitting in a planning meeting talking about what you ate for breakfast! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344515 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 23:45:43 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1344515@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah maybe you can offer community service after school if nothing else... For entering quizzes and such. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344510 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 23:43:04 +0000 spaniellove 1344510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: @Mrs. Taco: I remember doing this in HS for my friend's mom who was a teacher. I'd come by and she'd give me her grading/grade entering and other small tasks to do. It took a lot off her plate since she had 4 kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344506 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 23:40:49 +0000 brownie 1344506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Taco: your principal makes my life as a college teacher more difficult. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344505 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 23:39:57 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 1344505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me I am rigid about my availability. Tuesday pm? Nope! Thursday am? No can do, Jack. I also guard my prep time like a hawk. I fit in as MUCH as possible during my work hours and hand over every feasible responsibility to my students. I teach 2nd and they do A LOT for "our classroom" aka me (writing lunch choices for tomorrow, grading their own tests, cleaning the room, etc). </p> <p>That said, I accept that I don't get a 40 hour work week as a teacher. It's part of the job to work more hours. I do early mornings or late afternoons depending on my family's needs, but I have a hard line. I don't go in before 7 (except for our staff meetings at the ungodly hour of 6:45am), I don't stay past 4:45, and I never do early morning AND late afternoon. </p> <p>I'm working off @Anagram: 's philosophy - I don't have to BE the best, I just have to DO my best.</p> <p>ETA: I tried to say "no" a bunch in the beginning and legitly had pumping as an excuse (3x a day), but I started to come off as "bitchy" so I'm making more of an effort to do some socializing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344499 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 23:33:16 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1344499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Taco: at my school they are students, seniors who want a "free" ish period. (I'm in CA - no money and huge classes.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344381 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:26:45 +0000 Happygal 1344381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love seeing all the teacher bees! This is making me think I need to do a roll call and everyone can share what they teach.</p> <p>Lots of good advice here--would be fun to share more ideas with each other. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344376 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:25:17 +0000 matador84 1344376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Taco: It is pretty technical, but if you can get through it and implement what it discusses...the payoff is huge! For you and the kids...no 80 hour workweek needed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344371 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:22:37 +0000 lilteacherbee 1344371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Taco: Tomorrow is my first day back after mat leave, so I don't have any words of wisdom yet. Just wanted to say good luck!!</p> <p>@Anagram: I needed to read that tonight! Thank you :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344369 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:22:13 +0000 Happygal 1344369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, I read a blog post the other day about how to have a 40 hour work week as a teacher. She was serious about her time management. <a href="http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2012/10/how-to-work-a-40-hour-week-as-a-teacher.html" rel="nofollow">http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2012/10/how-to-work-a-40-hour-week-as-a-teacher.html</a><br /> I don't think that's the actual article, so there's more than 1 out there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344362 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:19:38 +0000 Mrs. Taco 1344362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@matador84: I've never heard of that book...off to look at it now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344357 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:17:53 +0000 Mrs. Taco 1344357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: Great tips! Thank you. By TA, do you mean teaching assistant? If so, I'll try to contain my laughter....in my dreams I would have one! :wink: </p> <p>I actually EP (4x a day) so I'm hoping to only manage 1 pump at work!</p> <p>@ChiCalGoBee: Thank you! I try to avoid the chatty Cathy's &amp; meeting lovers but we all know there are a ton in schools! I'm going to use pumping as my excuse :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344356 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:17:48 +0000 MrsScottish 1344356@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I teach in elementary as well :) I am a morning person so go in 1.5 hours before school and leave 30 mins after. I work through my lunch and don't take ANY work home. I need the break. I check my email but that is it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344343 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:13:30 +0000 matador84 1344343@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would look into implementing a reader's/writer's workshop model in your classroom. This gives you the ability to conference with your students frequently and you do not have the burden of grading so many papers. The book "In the Middle" is a good to read if you aren't familiar with this model of balanced literacy.</p> <p>You sound like a wonderful teacher. Don't take any work home and leave the work at school! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344330 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:09:24 +0000 ChiCalGoBee 1344330@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I teach 4th grade here in SoCal and am still TTC so I don't have any high school advice...just wanted to send my love and support! I guess my only school/life balance advice since I DO teach part-time is to make sure you say "no" early and often. People forget you have a lot on your plate and figure their "quick" meeting isn't a big deal, but when you've had 5 "quick" meetings in a week they start to add up. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344322 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:04:58 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1344322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Taco: re: late work. I save it all until the end because I can never find the right stack to add it to. Do you have a TA? That's also a life-saver for all the small stuff. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344317 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:03:51 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1344317@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I teach 10th and AP English and my LO is about a year!<br /> It's been quite a transition, especially when I used to grade all papers on weekends or holidays. (And pumping as a teach sucks...I only had to do it 1x a day for 6 weeks.)</p> <p>So here's what I'm doing.</p> <p>1) I stay an hour after school every day (until 3:30) so I get most things done then. LO goes to bed pretty early do I could potentially do work after that, but it doesn't work for me.<br /> 2) I use school time when necessary. I really needed to enter grades last Friday, so I did it during class. I kind of felt bad, but the kids sure didn't care.<br /> 3) I have our nanny work some vacation days so I can get the big essays done. It sucks but it's necessary.</p> <p>Overall I'm really enjoying teaching this year. I just really don't take things home (until the end of the grading period.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344308 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:59:52 +0000 Mrs. Taco 1344308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@brownie: I like the three turn in dates...LATE WORK KILLS ME!</p> <p>Our principal doesn't like us to have a 'no late work' policy (I have a different opinion) and it is really a time killer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344288 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:53:00 +0000 brownie 1344288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Have them grade/correct each other's papers. Makes them work on critical reading and correcting skills and then you can pick up on more important issues. I am going to do this this year for assignments.</p> <p>I also have only three turn in dates so I can do a bunh of work for just a few weekends. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344287 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:52:51 +0000 Mrs. Taco 1344287@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. 64: Thank you!</p> <p>@Anagram: Thank you for that. My principal actually said something very similar. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my lesson plans, I really try to make each day 'fun' (as fun as English can be!)...she told me that even on my worst day, I'm still a great teacher. It was really nice to hear and a big confidence boost.</p> <p>I'll definitely have to utilize alternative evaluation methods to avoid grading overload! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344267 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:46:36 +0000 Anagram 1344267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This may not be the answer you are looking for...</p> <p>But honestly, it's okay if you aren't the BEST teacher in the world while you have little ones. A lot of teachers are moms (probably...70% I'd guess, at one time or another) and they/we have all been through this stage. This is your time to spend less time grading (I know you have essays, but you don't HAVE to spend a ton of time grading each one--you can just read through, correct 1 or 2 things, make a comment and move on). Leave early. Give yourself the permission to just do the minimum for a while.</p> <p>It's OKAY. As long as you are present while you are in the classroom, I really feel like the grading doesn't matter much in the grand scheme (I kind of feel like grades are just a construct). Your students will remember your attitude and demeanor more than they'll remember how many papers you graded. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344266 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:46:20 +0000 mrs. 64 1344266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm elementary and haven't gone on maternity leave yet so I don't have a lot of advice, but I'm hoping your transition is smooth! Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teacher-bees-help-please#post-1344257 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:42:08 +0000 Mrs. Taco 1344257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi ladies--</p> <p>After beginning this school year and then deciding to SAH, I'm yet again headed back into the classroom. My principal called me to ask that I come back and made some pretty sweet accommodations (an hour later start time? yes please!). Now that LO is 7 months, I think I am more prepared and I am excited. </p> <p>While I *think* I am ready, I am not naive. There are going to be struggles taking over a class halfway through the year. Luckily, I taught many of these kids last year (taught 9th--now taking over 10th) so I've got that on my side.</p> <p>What I'm looking for is any time management/organization/planning tips you have. Basically, how do you manage what can easily be an 80hr week job into something more family friendly? I will be teaching 10th grade English. </p> <p>Thanks in advance for your support! :heart: </p>