How is it that it is almost the end of June? And then it will be halfway through the year. The past few months have been interesting and challenging. As I mentioned in this post, my mother had a stroke at the end of March, and our lives completely changed. Luckily she is doing better and we are taking it day by day.
I am on summer break but also working summer school. That sounds weird. Or should it be that my summer break will start when I am done with summer school? By the way my last day is July 3rd.
I did a Day in the Life of a Teacher post in 2016. I decided to do another one now that I am done with the regular school year. I hope it isn’t too boring. 🙂
Here is a typical day for me (I chose Tuesday):
4:30-5:00 AM
I haven’t been sleeping well so I wake up at this time. I remember when I needed an alarm to wake me up. I make coffee and get ready for my run. Sometimes I do an easy run (4-5 miles) or a speed workout.
Since it is Tuesday I double check my Tuesday Topics post and publish it.
6:00-6:30 AM
Depending on my run I get home around this time. I shower and get ready. I also make more coffee and my breakfast (usually overnight oats with fruit or greek yogurt with fruit). I get to school by 7. There is NO reason why I should get to school at 7. I guess it is just a habit.
7:00-8:15 AM
I check email, Facebook, and Instagram. I also chat with some coworkers. Sometimes I put my head down for a little bit to rest.
8:15-9:00 AM
I go downstairs to wait for my students. I started with 14. Then I had 12. Then 13 and now I have 12 again. 🙂 We then go inside to get breakfast and take it upstairs to the classroom. The students eat breakfast while watching “The Magic School Bus”. They love it. I take attendance and get my copies ready for the day.
9:00-10:00 AM
We have reading and small group instruction. Six of my students cannot read and I sit with them to help out as much as I can. I think reading in Spanish is “easy” because it is phonetic, but I guess it is difficult for some of them.
10:00-10:10 AM
Break time! We either do a GoNoodle, go outside to the courtyard, or down to the STEAM Room.
10:10-11:00 AM
I do a math mini lesson and also have small group instruction.
11:00-11:50 AM
The students work on an art project. They use tempera paint, watercolors, markers, crayons, felt, and tissue paper for their project. They are very creative and I love seeing their work.
I want to make colored pasta for my students. I think they will love it.
11:50 AM-12:00 PM
The students get ready to go home. We then head downstairs. Half of my students get on a bus to go home and the other half have parents waiting for them outside.
12:00-12:15 PM
I go back inside to use the restroom and sign out. Then I head over to my mom’s.
1:00-8/8:30 PM
I am usually there by 1pm and that is when the caregiver goes home. My mom is eating lunch so I join her. When she is done I make sure she takes her medicine and then we take a nap. 🙂 My mother takes medicine 3x a day.
After our nap we watch TV, go to the store, or do errands. We take advantage whenever we have nice weather to be outside. Last week we went to Lake Katherine because it was finally nice enough to go there. We were there for about 2 hours. Sometimes she isn’t in the mood to go anywhere so we stay home.
At about 6 or so we have dinner. I wash the dishes while my mother watches TV. Sometimes she likes to sit in the balcony and listens to music. If there is time I’ll check the post for comments and respond back.
At 8 she takes her bedtime medicine. I also give her an insulin injection and check her glucose level. We check her glucose level 3x a day and write it down in a sheet of paper. We started doing this because her doctor asked as to. She also wanted us to inject her with 5 units of Novolog (a rapid-acting insulin) before every meal. We no longer give her Novolog but still keep a record of her glucose level. We’re hoping that based on the daily numbers we won’t have to check her glucose level 3x a day.
I hate having to prick her fingers to check her glucose level. Currently she has the FreeStyle Libre which is a “small, water-proof, fully disposable sensor worn on the arm. When scanned over the sensor, the reader shows a real-time glucose reading.” It is easy to use and we don’t have to prick her fingers. However, it is expensive. I paid about $150 for the reader and the sensor. The sensor is only good for 14 days and then it needs to be replaced. Since we already have the reader, for the next time we only need to buy the sensor.
Between 8-8:30 pm I pack up my things and go home. I get there around 9. I wash my breakfast container and coffee mug and go to sleep. It’s been a very long day.
During the school year I would leave school at 3 and get to my mom’s at 4. I blame it on traffic. 🙂 I do this on Tuesdays and Thursday. I also go on Saturday morning after my long run and spend the night there. Then I go home on Sunday evening.
This routine leaves me exhausted. I am not complaining but simply stating why I am constantly tired. It definitely does not help that I have not been sleeping well. I know how important sleep is and how much better I feel and function when I get enough sleep.
My runs help me focus and think. My runs are my ME time. I look forward to them. Sometimes I think about everything going on in my life and sometimes I just focus on the music. I have a running playlist on Amazon Prime but recently started listening to Pandora. I have a station (is that what it is called?) that I like but I hate the ads/commercials. It is tempting to upgrade it to skip the ads.
Thanks again to everyone for your support and encouragement.
This week’s Tuesday Topic is a FREE topic. Feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!
I was a teacher for 22 years so I fondly remember those days. But I wasn’t a runner then.
Enjoy them
I is so much harder to fit in runs when you are working full-time. But as you said, it’s my ME time, a stress reliever and my therapy.
I like teaching but over the years it has become more about data and tests instead of helping the students learn. One of these days I would like to leave the classroom and be a math interventionist.
That’s why I left. I went back to school for Technology
You are a good daughter to take care of your mom every day. That is a full and exhausting day for sure. I’m glad you have running to help destress.
Thanks Marcia. My mother lives with my younger sister so she is the one that has to do more. It is exhausting. I hope that when I do buy a house she can come live with me for a while to fiber her a break and I don’t have to drive so much. 😁
Caretaking — even if you ARE sleeping well — is exhausting. You have every right to be tired and you definitely need that me time.
After my mom’s surgery about 3 years ago she was checking her glucose for a while. They sent us home without really showing us how to use the darn thing and I had the fun of trying to figure it out & explain it to her (which I did eventually). I don’t think she checks it anymore, but she is on meds for diabetes.
It’s also really hard just watching them go through all this crap. Hugs!
You are definitely a good daughter, Zenaida. And you do such creative things with your kids!
Thanks Judy! I learned how to give her an insulin injection by watching a YouTube video. I had never done it since my mother was the one that did it.
My mother is also on meds for diabetes but I guess still needs the insulin.
Thankfully my mom’s is controlled by her meds. Of course she’s also on high blood pressure meds, now they’re looking at her heart, and dealing with my Dad doesn’t help things much. We are afraid she’ll stroke out. 🙁
But they should be getting an aide . . . .sometime. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Hugs to you Judy! ❤️
Thanks, Zenaida! One day at a time, right?
I taught for 31 years. I can remember looking forward to summer break, but there were usually classes to take, lessons to plan, and science fair projects to get underway. You are a good daughter to your mom. How kind of you to spend your afternoons with her!
Thank you!
Huge hugs to you 😉 Your mother is fortunate you’re close by and can help with her care and keep her company. There’s probably a lot of subconscious stress, given your situation…that may be a factor in your erratic sleep (?). I hope things get easier for you (it sounds like they are already), especially when your summer term ends with school.
Thank you. I am glad it is summer break even if I am still working part time. In a way that keeps me busy and occupied even if sometimes I just want to go home and not do anything. 😜 I guess no matter what happens there will ways be stress. The key thing is how to handle it.
Huge hugs to you! I can only imagine how exhausting that schedule is for you. You really jumped into the caregiver role quickly and you’re doing an amazing job.
Thanks Kim. Having a bust schedule was never my thing. I am happy at home watching TV or reading a book. This new schedule was an eye opener for me and I didn’t know how to handle it because I was not used to it. I think now I got it. 😉
I guess the upside of getting up earlier than you have to is that you are out getting your runs done! Do you always run before eating? I have a hard time doing that
Yes I like that now I get my runs done and don’t have to wait till later when most likely it won’t happen. I do run before eating. The only time I will eat something is when I have a run longer than 6 miles.
Gosh that is a tight schedule. I get to work earlier than I need to to avoid traffic, and then I hang out at Starbucks. 🙂 It is great that you are willing and able to be such a help for your mom. It’s crazy how expensive glucose monitors are — does insurance help, or not for the nicer ones?
Traffic is another reason I leave early for work during the school year. I get there at 7 but don’t start till 8:30. I use that time to get ready for the day and also sometimes to relax. I’d rather arrive early instead of stay late after work.
My mother has Medicaid and Medicare and I was told they don’t pay for the FreeStyle Libre. The other glucose monitor she does get for free.
I can’t imagine having to work and then care for a parent. I would need to run as well!
Exactly. These past couple of months have been stressful and running has helped me cope with it. However, I think I have this whole schedule figured out by now so that makes it a bit easier.
What grade do you teach? Your cat is adorable.
Thanks. I love her! I teach 2nd grade.