I have been back in school for two days and it is like I never left.
Seriously. It is like I never left. I came back to cheers and hugs and choruses of I missed you, I prayed for you, you’re back, you’re back, you’re back! and then about a minute or two later I heard, so and so just stepped on my foot, it’s hot out here, are we doing centers later today, did you know my birthday is only one hundred and forty-six days away, I’m so tired because we got a new cat and it sleeped (yes, sleeped) with me and kept me up all night.
Man, I missed them.
But today I’m talking about Take Off Tuesday.
This is something new my team and I are trying out. We’ve been doing it for about . . . oh . . . well . . . three weeks maybe. And I wasn’t even there for the last one.
But what we’ve been trying to do is take off! Right away! The bell rings, we walk our kids out, we grab our stuff and we go home.
As in, we go home right after dismissal.
I KNOW! I didn’t even know there was such a thing! Because I stay. I stay every day! (Unless I’m getting my hair done and, let’s face it, that trumps all.)
Seriously though, I have been teaching first grade for 18 years. EIGHTEEN YEARS, people! And after 18 years, you’d think I could just leave every day after dismissal. Surely I’ve got this down. Surely I could do this with my eyes closed!
But no. There’s always something new (Common Core this time around) and there’s always something I want to try and I always want to change something and I always end up talking and socializing and I am always just there.
Now, I do get that I don’t have kids so I don’t have daycare issues or baseball practice issues or violin issues or ballet issues or even cooking issues (thank you, Steve). But one of my teammates has four boys (FOUR!) from the ages of 12 down onto 3 . . . and she stays, too. Sometimes, she does leave at dismissal, but then she comes back and all of her boys are in her room and she’s hustling around doing all her stuff.
And then we take stuff home.
And this is day after day after day.
Which is fine. I love my job. I am not mad about this at all. I’m not even saying it needs to change.
I’m just saying we’re trying something new called Take Off Tuesday. And we’re supposed to Take Off immediately after school.
And that, my friends, is very hard for me. First, I have to put out morning work. Change calendar. Change the date on the whiteboard. Rotate the center cards. Move the clips for the playground balls. Check a table group’s journals. Pull stuff out for tomorrow . . . and then, maybe then, I can go. I just don’t want to walk in to my room the next morning and feel already frazzled. I just can’t do it. So maybe after I do all that other stuff, I can go.
Maybe.
Today, I made it out at 3:40.
Dismissal is at 3:00.
So that’s something. When I texted Steve to tell him I was already home, his response was WHOA.
I KNOW! I said. (Never mind that my cart is full of stuff for me to do while I sit on the couch and watch the Dr. Phil special about Kim Richards from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills while I have a snack or two or three — anyone else gonna watch?)
We do have a couple of teachers at our site that leave every day at dismissal.
And I’m just mystified by it.
I don’t get it.
So do you leave right away? Or do you camp out? Are there certain things you have to do before you can leave for the day, too?
I’m not alone, am I??
Because as much as I’d like Take Off Tuesday to become a movement, I just don’t know if I can commit to it every Tuesday . . .
You can do it, Kristin!! I would love to take off!! Our kids leave at 2:45ish, but we are required to stay until 3:30. I always leave at 3:30 though unless we have some kind of meeting.
I'm with you. It is SO hard, except for that mandatory hair appointment! I rarely leave "early", but ALWAYS take stuff home regardless.
Takes me 3 weeks to decompress every summer. And then I have to put away all the stuff I dragged home and piled & dumped… "But you have ALL summer off" Haha
I've been at this since 1978 and still have a hard time leaving at 3:30! Fridays are the worst for me though, because I can't stand to leave for the weekend without everything totally in place for the next week. 🙂 Love this idea! Now if I can just do it…
Love, love, love this idea! Thanks for sharing. I am an assistant principal and would love to encourage my teachers to do this (and myself!). Take some time to rejuvenate and enjoy family time.
LOVE this!!! You deserve it but I totally get why it is hard! Most importantly, since you have all this free time can you blog about the Dr. Phil show? I missed it! Haha 🙂
I totally feel you! I've been teaching kindergarten for 19 years and my room partner and has been teaching for over 26 years, you think that we would both be the first ones to leave but no we are the last!
Your story is my story plus a few years and 2 kids! I love, love love this! If I'm out the door before 4 I feel like I've added a whole other day to my world! Next week for Teacher Appreciation we get to leave as soon as our kids are gone. Sure hope I can take advantage of this!!!
My kids leave at 3:45 and teachers can leave at 4:15. I spend those 30 minutes (usually down to 20 by the time I get the kids out) changing the date, making copies, and rotating whatever. I typically leave right at 4:15, but I take plans and grading home with me. I'd rather do my overtime work on my couch with Netflix and some snacks than in my classroom without Netflix and snacks. 🙂
Kristin
School and the City
I am with ya! I cannot leave without mostly everything ready. This girl is not a morning girl so doing it all early in the morning is not in the cards for me! Our kiddos dismiss at 2:55, we can leave at 3:10 but I am really proud of myself if I'm outta there by 4:30!! I just also find it peaceful after the kiddos and most of the teachers are gone. I get so much done then!
I'm curious what time school starts for you. My second graders get out at 1:55. We start at 8. I can leave at 3:30, but usually stay later.
Wow! Our kids come in at 9:15 and start at 9:30… we dismiss kids at 4!
I have a hard time just leaving, too. Part of that is that I'm NOT a morning person, so whatever needs to get done should probably get done that afternoon. But we can leave at 4:10, and yesterday I made myself leave by 6, so… not too bad? (Progress from when I usually leave!)
Love this idea, Kristin 🙂
Jenny
I wish we had take off Tuesday…or any other day! We have eight hour days for teachers…which seems like I might as well be a factory worker.
I leave pretty soon after dismissal, usually within 10-20 minutes. Take Off Tuesday is my everyday! I do all my prep in the morning before school- I work better that way.
-Maria
Wow- this is a scary thought- but one I'd love to try!! I'm there late every night (after 22 years of teaching). I'd feel like I worked a half day if I walked out at 3:00- haha. I NEED to try this! I can't do it next Tuesday- it's Open House, but I may challenge myself to do it the next Tuesday!
I am a brand new teacher this year and I try to leave ASAP! I am Lit support though so I don't quite have the same obligations (rotating things) at the end of the day. We start at 8:30 and end at 2:30, and we're allowed to leave as early as 2:30! I am usually out of there around 3 🙂
We can't leave after dismissal we have set hours 7:30-3:30 or 8:00-4:00 depending on the school. I seldom leave until sometime after four. I am also mystified by people who leave on time.
My student arrive at 8:20 and leave around 3:20. Usually it's later by the time all of the busses are called. I used to have to hustle out by 4 to get my kids at daycare. These days, since my husband takes care of the kids after school and spoils me by making dinner, I usually stay until 4:45. That leaves me less work to do at home. I can't seem to "take off", but I probably should at least sometimes.
Jan
Laughter and Consistency
We're in the midst of unsuccessful contract negotiations so we're doing Work to Rule. We walk in with the kids at 8:15, and we must leave at 2:50 – every day. Also, we're not allowed to work at home or buy any school-related items with our own money. The worst is the mornings – I really like to arrive at least an hour before the kids to set up for the day. Any other Work to Rule people out there?
My first few years, I stayed until 7 pm. When I learned the paperwork never goes away, I decided to plan and organize my day better so I wouldn't have to stay. Now I'm at school at 630am and have a god hour to set up the day's events and grade papers. I leave right at dismissal. During conference time, I update my to do's, ensuring upcoming due dates are being taken care of. I don't work well as a procrastinator as some do, so I keep a very detailed calendar. My lesson plans are done a week in advance, and I have small group in reading and math, differentiating by levels. It can be done. You just have to decide if you want to spend more quality time with you family or shuffling work that will never end. I would love to spend some time after school socializing with others, but my family time is more important. Give it a try for a few days a week, and I promise the stress of never getting anything done will go away (or at least get smaller).
Sister I have a 7 month old baby. I leave everyday at the dismissal bell! You just adjust to it and make it work!
Our dismissal is 3:30. A few days a week I teach the after school program which ends at 5:30 and then I usually stay about an hour longer. Other days I stay until 6 or until my husband keeps calling me asking when I am coming home. A few times, as a team we have stayed until the night custodian has kicked us out at 8:30!! We never leave right after school unless we have something we have committed to. I don't understand how so many teachers at my school leave at 3:30 and then don't show up until 15 minutes before school starts!
I say the same thing every day! How do they do it?!
No, I stay late every night. I get to school at 7 every day (school starts at 9:10) and don't leave any earlier that 5 (school dismisses at 3:20). And, I stay really late at least one night (until like 7:30) to plan for the following week… Ugh!
I stay late and don't know how not to. Your explanation of: "First, I have to put out morning work. Change calendar. Change the date on the whiteboard. Rotate the center cards. Move the clips for the playground balls. Check a table group's journals. Pull stuff out for tomorrow . . . and then, maybe then, I can go…" sounds like me!!! I like you am mystified how people are out the door right at the bell??!
I don't get it either! I have a few teachers that are already with their bags and coats leaving as I'm walking in from dismissing my kids!! Aren't their rooms in chaos? And they tell me they don't grade at home like I'm the big weirdo! Someone's hiding some big secret out there…
We can't have Take Off Tuesday ever because it is meeting day after school. They can keep us until 4 pm and school gets out at 2:15 pm.
I like to stay late on Thursday nights and get everything planned, copied, and organized for the next week. It's a late night – usually until 8. Fridays I tidy my room and make sure everything is good to go. I love it this way because I'm usually out the door between 4-430 every other night, and thats after visiting and switching things and daily paperwork. Our kids leave at 315.
I usually arrive and hour before school and stay an hour after. I use my lunch and prep minutes to organize other things during the day. Once a week I stay until around 6 (school ends at 3:35). Once a month my teaching partner and I stay til 6, go for dinner and go back until late… 10ish. I never leave at the bell unless I have an appointment. It's so tough! We have work to rule coming…. I might just like having some free afternoons!
Love…LoVe..LOVE this!! You said everything I think in my head every day! Our school dismisses at 2:20 and I usually feel so guilty if I leave before 3:30. Last year I was staying until 6:00 or 7:00 most nights. A couple of times 8:00! I think I have unrealistic goals for what I can get done "in a couple of hours." I want to participate in this Take off Tuesday! Great idea. I think it's more than okay to leave a normal time once a week. Especially since we all know that we actually "work" 7 days a week.
One thing that my new teaching partner and I are trying is to plan together, just a few things. I am taking January and she will do February, but we will make all of the art projects, math projects, etc for both of our classes. If I can make 25 of something, then 50 is just a bit more work. But it will be worth gold to have projects done and ready. Right now, it is Christmas break, and of the 3 days off so far, I have spent more than 18 hours working on centers for our new reading curriculum. Granted, I can cut out laminating while watching the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Choir, but still, I don't understand how others can take off all break and just wheel back in or ever leave before 6:00 and this is my 17th year teaching. I am going to try this in the new year! You have given me my new year's resolution. Thanks for the inspiration!