Join me as I participate in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Other "Slicers" can be found among my students in the comments of my class blog. There are also several hundred teachers participating at https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com
On Thursdays during the school year I get a few extra minutes in my morning. I may hit SNOOZE an extra time, shower for a few minutes longer, or make a special breakfast for my wife and daughter and sit with them while they eat it. I don't eat it with them though.
Then, after arriving at school hungry, I walk down the tiled hallway, leaning against my messenger bag filled with my laptop and homework, anticipating the door to the teacher's lounge. Thursday breakfasts are a bit like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.
We have sixty-five wonderful people on the staff of my school and take turns providing breakfast each Thursday. A sign up sheet goes around at the first preservice staff meeting, and people choose a Thursday during the school year to be in charge of breakfast. Each week it's a little different and the tenor of the breakfast or the week leads to more or less people hanging out and eating before school starts.
The counter is often graced with tablecloths and decorations, depending on the season and music often adds a new lovely ambiance to the whole room. Plates are provided or we are encouraged to bring our own to wash and be a little more environmentally conscious.
Staff members grab a plate of food, wait in line for coffee and chat at the tables. Others come by for a quick hello, an easily carried item for their desk, and are off again. For the 30-45 minutes before school, most of the staff will come by and at least get something to nourish their bodies or conversations and smiles to fill their souls before heading off to work with the kids in their rooms.
We have some pretty typical breakfasts like:
Various carb treats and fruit
Potato/egg casseroles
Breakfast burritos (pre-made or create-your own)
Cereal bar or granola with yogurt
Meat and cheese
Or often a mixture of the above.
Some people go all out and bake amazing treats, or bring homemade French toast or waffles. Others make regional or cultural fare that are special for the recipes and this uniqueness. Tater tots are always a popular addition to any breakfast and it's not uncommon for a large bowl of M&Ms to be siphoned off by the staff throughout the day.
Every once in a while, disaster strikes and someone forgets it's their turn, or there was an unnoticed, blank Thursday and no one filled it. The empty lounge and counter are extra bleak and people hungrily poke their heads in before checking their mailbox and rummaging through their desks and cabinets for the ubiquitous snacks we all stash. But heroines and heroes are made on those mornings when someone makes a quick run to the store and saves the day. Other times, someone notices a blank spot the day before and an impromptu potluck is created via emails, with everyone pitching in.
Today is Thursday, and I can't wait for those few extra minutes I save at home not eating breakfast, and the camaraderie of our staff as we break bread together.
On Thursdays during the school year I get a few extra minutes in my morning. I may hit SNOOZE an extra time, shower for a few minutes longer, or make a special breakfast for my wife and daughter and sit with them while they eat it. I don't eat it with them though.
Then, after arriving at school hungry, I walk down the tiled hallway, leaning against my messenger bag filled with my laptop and homework, anticipating the door to the teacher's lounge. Thursday breakfasts are a bit like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.
We have sixty-five wonderful people on the staff of my school and take turns providing breakfast each Thursday. A sign up sheet goes around at the first preservice staff meeting, and people choose a Thursday during the school year to be in charge of breakfast. Each week it's a little different and the tenor of the breakfast or the week leads to more or less people hanging out and eating before school starts.
The counter is often graced with tablecloths and decorations, depending on the season and music often adds a new lovely ambiance to the whole room. Plates are provided or we are encouraged to bring our own to wash and be a little more environmentally conscious.
Staff members grab a plate of food, wait in line for coffee and chat at the tables. Others come by for a quick hello, an easily carried item for their desk, and are off again. For the 30-45 minutes before school, most of the staff will come by and at least get something to nourish their bodies or conversations and smiles to fill their souls before heading off to work with the kids in their rooms.
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| photo credit: Raisin Bread French Toast via photopin (license) |
We have some pretty typical breakfasts like:
Various carb treats and fruit
Potato/egg casseroles
Breakfast burritos (pre-made or create-your own)
Cereal bar or granola with yogurt
Meat and cheese
Or often a mixture of the above.
Some people go all out and bake amazing treats, or bring homemade French toast or waffles. Others make regional or cultural fare that are special for the recipes and this uniqueness. Tater tots are always a popular addition to any breakfast and it's not uncommon for a large bowl of M&Ms to be siphoned off by the staff throughout the day.
Every once in a while, disaster strikes and someone forgets it's their turn, or there was an unnoticed, blank Thursday and no one filled it. The empty lounge and counter are extra bleak and people hungrily poke their heads in before checking their mailbox and rummaging through their desks and cabinets for the ubiquitous snacks we all stash. But heroines and heroes are made on those mornings when someone makes a quick run to the store and saves the day. Other times, someone notices a blank spot the day before and an impromptu potluck is created via emails, with everyone pitching in.
Today is Thursday, and I can't wait for those few extra minutes I save at home not eating breakfast, and the camaraderie of our staff as we break bread together.
Hurrah, glad you posted & now I'll remember! Always good!
ReplyDeleteYum! Why are teacher staff table treats so awesome???
ReplyDeleteI just finished making my breakfast casserole for our Final Friday breakfast. It makes the end of the month extra fun!
ReplyDelete