What a field trip!

I learned something incredibly valuable today: I don't like field trips! Don't get me wrong- it was fun and the kids loved it. But all the prep and stresses of the event are just not a great time! 

This week we have morning arrival as well as recess at lunchtime. This means that we (RM and I) have to be outside at 7:40 to 7:50 greeting students, helping them out of their cars, and basically making sure that the students behave while they are waiting to come into the building. Then at 7:50 we walk into the building with all the students. This is a good time to chat with some of the students and get to know them a bit personally outside of the classroom. I enjoy this morning time because most of the students are still waking up and it is just a nice time. Then we have recess duty at lunch which means we have to hurry and eat our lunch so that we can take the kids outside and supervise during recess. I'm not such of fan of the latter. Hurrying out of the classroom (if you even HAVE a parent) is difficult because there is so much to do- not to mention I want to help students with packages or whatnot. By the time we get out of the room we are running down and throwing our lunch down our throat to get back and outside. 

Well, obviously since we didn't have lunch at school today, we didn't have to do afternoon recess. But I did have to do morning arrival. And RM was not there yet. Normally this would have been fine, but given there was a freeway shooting on a major freeway and several parents were concerned about our travel route, that increased the stress level a wee bit. 

The morning just seemed to have many hurdles along the way. There was certainly nothing major- just little things that can add up.

The weather couldn't have been better. It was perfect! Not too hot not too cold. No rain. The sun was behind the clouds but still perfect. The kids in my class were well behaved and did a fine job. I did like the part where I wasn't responsible for all of them all of the time- and I liked how I was thought of as "the teacher". But it is much easier to make sure all the students are safe and doing what they should be in the containment of the classroom!