Elementary Life
The magical item that somehow ends up missing its cap… every single day.
Glue sticks
According to 6-year-olds, this is the correct number of times to sharpen a pencil.
Every 10 seconds
The three supplies elementary teachers fear most during holiday crafts.
Glitter, paint, and scissors
This object chooses chaos anytime you’re running late.
The copier
The sound elementary teachers LOVE to hear on the last day before break.
The dismissal bell
The beverage teachers reheat an average of 3 times before finishing.
Coffee
The reason a student might raise their hand during a math lesson.
To tell you about their dog’s birthday (or unrelated stories)
The holiday activity students beg to do even if it’s 8 a.m.
Classroom party
The phrase no elementary teacher wants to hear over the intercom.
“We need coverage.”
The first thing most teachers take off after students leave.
Their shoes
The phrase every elementary teacher says at least 20 times a day.
“Hands to yourself.”
When you say “line up quietly,” students hear this instead.
“Talk louder and wiggle more.”
The movie that every elementary classroom shows at least once in December.
The Polar Express
Your students instantly act like they’ve forgotten every procedure you’ve ever taught.
The item teachers swear they won’t bring home but end up doing anyway.
A giant stack of grading
The tool teachers use to show papers, books, and sometimes random objects to the whole class.
The document camera
The dramatic event that brings the entire rug time to a halt.
A paper cut
The most common student question the week before break.
“Are we doing anything today?”
Any treat labeled “help yourself.”
The drink teachers upgrade to adult size once break officially begins.
Hot chocolate, coffee, or “holiday cheer”
The only thing that can stop a lesson instantly and turn heads faster than a fire drill.
A loose tooth
The thing students insist on showing you even when you’re mid-sentence.
A wiggly tooth, a tiny rock, or “treasures” from their pocket
The noise level in a classroom can be scientifically measured with this teacher tool (or so we pretend).
A “voice level chart”
They forgot something… again. (Usually copies, keys, or the one thing they went to get.)
The moment teachers truly feel like it’s winter break.
When the classroom door closes behind them