The sounds from an elementary school hallway

It occurred to me this week that people who don't teach, have young children, or spend time in an elementary school at all may not have any idea what the halls are like!

I've mentioned in a previous post one reason why a teacher's job is different from your job. My next reason is this: When you are walking down the hallway at your job, you probably don't have people reminding you to walk on the right-hand side of the hall and use the right-hand door, "just like a car". I say this probably 10+ times a day. Kids seem to think they can walk willy-nilly down the hall, however they please, even if several other classes are trying to walk to and from their rooms.

If you were in our building, you would also hear shouts and gossip and various noises (!) coming from the bathroom. There is also a constant chug, chug, chug coming from the paper towel dispensers. The students in our pod (1st, 3rd & 4th graders) seem to think they need 5 feet of paper towels to dry their tiny, little hands.

There are MANY other noises! Just today we had a tornado drill in the morning and then in the afternoon, my kids were so noisy at the bathrooms that another teacher came out to tell them to get quiet.

Next time you think you work with some interesting characters ... come hang out with me at my job for a day! :)