Welcome to my chaos! I love when other people do “a day in the life” posts or videos, so here is mine! My day starts between 4:00-5:30 in the morning, and usually this tired head hits the pillow at about 9:30pm. In between, I am wrangling a child with my husband, taking care of three dogs who all have very particular personalities and needs, teaching life skills courses to high school students, and trying to blog, exercise, and take care of all the adult responsibilities in between. At least I make tons of money as a teacher, right?!

Jokes aside, I’m so thankful for this life and I truly believe that the “best time of my life” is always happening right now. Come along with me while I navigate a “typical” weekday! I mentioned in this post that we are back to school, so my day is starting a lot earlier than it did over the summer! Here’s a look at a day in the life of a high school teacher, wife, and mom.

4:00am

My alarm goes off. I hurry to hit stop so it doesn’t bother Andrew too much or wake Davis up. While navigating our three dogs in the dark, I put on workout clothes as quietly as I can and brush my teeth. Then, I go downstairs to fill up my water bottle and work out in the garage. Treadmill, yoga, weights, HIIT – those are my go-tos! I like to listen to Pop Fitness Radio station on Pandora; I’ve honed it over the years. I’m usually exercising by 4:15am and finished by 4:45.

4:45am

I sit down to eat my overnight oats for breakfast, look at my planner for the day, and make a to-do list. Usually I scroll social media for a few minutes, too. I try to think of what I can wear to school that day, because that can be inconvenient an epic meltdown if I don’t plan it ahead. I hit the start button on the coffee maker and pour a cup of coffee when it’s done.

5:10am

If I’m washing my hair, I go upstairs and start showering and getting ready. Otherwise, I have about 10-15 minutes to do a small task, like put dinner in the crockpot for later, fold a load of laundry, or unload the dishwasher. Usually I just sit for a few more minutes to relax, breathe, and mentally prepare for the day. If I’m not washing my hair, I go upstairs about 5:30 to shower off and get ready for school. These days I’m just doing eye makeup because we have to wear masks, so that saves a few minutes!

6:00am

Either Andrew or I go to wake up Davis and change his diaper. Those morning snuggles are the best ones, so we both like to do it! This is true crunch time for us; it’s always super hectic from here on. Andrew is trying to get ready, the dogs have to be fed, Bruno gets his insulin, Davis has to eat breakfast, and all the bags and lunches have to be packed and ready to go. I get the car loaded so when it’s time to leave, all I need is Davis.

6:30am

GET OUT THE DOOR. I usually take Davis to day care, which is right by the school. He’ll be starting at a child care center 2 days a week soon, so we’ll have to figure that out when it gets here. I drop him off and head to school. We are supposed to be in our rooms ready to go at 6:55, and I usually get there right at that time. I take off my mask, turn on my desk fan, and get everything I need pulled up on my laptop. Before my students come, I like to update my Google Classroom for the day, check my emails, and make sure I feel prepared for my lessons.

7:15am

The bell rings for students to go to first period class, so they start trickling in. My first class is Teaching as a Profession, for students who are interested in teaching or know that’s what they plan to do. I only have 7 students in this class for this semester, which makes things a lot more close-knit. This is a college-level class that is new to North Carolina within the last couple of years. I have loved teaching it, and I’ve had fun thinking of creative opportunities for my students to gain more knowledge about the field of education. It’s hard out there for a teacher right now, so it’s nice to have that class as a reminder of why I chose this profession.

8:53am

The bell rings to end first period, and my second period students start arriving to class! I usually go fill up my water bottle or use the bathroom between classes. I have these students for 2nd and 3rd period for Early Childhood Education class. They learn about child development from birth to age 12, how to teach and observe young children, and the best part – they intern 3 days a week at local child care centers and elementary schools! Right now we are just holding regular class while I get them all placed and take care of all the paperwork. Once they start interning, they’ll be out on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I will go pop in to check on them at their sites! I love the opportunity that this class gives students, and I love to see my students practicing what we’ve learned in class. They have a blast, and it can give them college credit if they take both levels of the course.

12:04pm

The bell rings for lunch, and then I have 4th period planning! I love having planning at the end of the day because it’s a nice, quiet time to look forward to, and it helps me unwind and plan for the next day. During this time, I run any school errands, make copies, write lessons, create assignments, grade papers, go to meetings, etc. I also run 2 clubs, so there’s always something to do! A day in the life of a high school teacher is never slow, easy, or boring.

2:18pm

School is out! We are expected to stay 30 minutes past the bell, but I usually stay until about 3:30. If I have a club meeting, staff meeting, or PLT meeting with other teachers in my department, it’s during this time. Other than that, I get my work done and go out to my car to pick Davis up! It’s always so great to see him after a long day at school. We head home to let the dogs out.

4:00pm

Unpack all the bags and lunch boxes. Change into soft clothes. Check the mail. Play with Davis. Respond to texts. Check social media because I haven’t had a chance to at school all day. Davis and I listen to music, go outside in the yard, take a walk, watch Cocomelon sometimes, and Davis *helps* me make dinner. We just ordered a meal delivery service from EveryPlate, and I’m really excited to see how it goes! I needed something to help me with meal planning and recipe surfing – I was in a rut. So I’m hoping this will be fun, easy, and convenient! I’m also hoping that we will have leftovers for lunch, because that makes it so much easier to pack in the mornings!

6:30pm

This is usually around the time Andrew gets home from football practice. He helps me finish dinner, plays with Davis, and we try to eat together at the table most nights. After that, it’s a crazy train until Davis goes to bed. Feed the dogs, give Bruno his insulin, bath time, brush teeth, put on pajamas, read a book, etc.

7:30pm

Get Davis down for bed! We usually take turns doing this. Davis has just recently gotten really interested in books, and that has been fun! So we always read one a few times before bed (he loves to flip the pages and start over again once it’s finished). Once Davis is down for the night, we usually watch one or two shows downstairs before letting the dogs out and going up to bed.

9:00-9:30pm

Brush my teeth, wash my face, put on moisturizer, and get in bed! Since I’m waking up extra early this school year, I have to make it a priority to get enough sleep. I really should already be asleep by 9pm, but I’m doing what I can. I always like to put on lip balm and hand lotion before bed. Then, it’s lights out, goodnight to the doggies, and sweet dreams!

There you have it! That’s the typical rundown for my “day in the life!” Game days are different through football and baseball season, and of course weekends follow a totally different routine – but this is what works for us right now! I try to vacuum at least once a week, and I clean the kitchen counters often throughout the week to keep everything clean and in order. I do laundry a couple of times a week for us and Davis. It’s busy, but whose life isn’t? Like I said, the best time of my life is always happening right in front of me, and I know that as Davis gets older and if we add another child, it will just get more hectic. I’m so grateful to be able to make these memories and enjoy life with the ones I love.