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A Morning in the Life of a Teacher       2024-02-21

Curious about what ESL teachers do after retirement? Well, Jesse Hionis has found a delightful pastime in writing stories. Here’s one that captures a slice of a teacher’s day, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and resonate with the shared experiences of educators everywhere.

AT HOME
You wake up at the crack of dawn needing to make sure that everything is ready for your day in the classroom. Having meticulously prepared the materials you need for your lessons, you double check one last time. You need to make sure that everything you prepared the night before is perfect. You are convinced that these materials will surely make the concept you’re teaching crystal clear for your students.

You shuffle through all the cut-outs, the printed and pasted teaching prompts you’ll need this morning and shove them into a box. There is definitely no more room in your schoolbag! It’s already been packed and busting at the seams from all the stuff you put into it the night before. There’s no room in the box, or in your schoolbag for all the workbooks you have sitting on the kitchen table, so you decide you’ll carry those separately.

You quickly realize that two hands just won’t be enough to carry all this stuff, so you anxiously ask for help to load up your car from whomever is available at the breakfast table this morning. With a bit of polite convincing, all your materials are in the back seat of your car. Your school stuff is ready, now it’s your turn to get ready and dressed for school.

“I can’t be late”, you whisper to yourself. “A teacher can never be late!”

Quickly getting dressed and just as swiftly running out the front door with a cup of coffee in hand, you are very much aware that there is no time for breakfast again today.

IN THE CAR
“What if traffic is heavy again?” you ask yourself.

You immediately decide that you’ll grab something at school if you have time!

While driving to school, you rehearse the concepts you’ll be teaching today and scan your memory, making a mental note of which students didn’t get it yesterday.

“I must review yesterday’s lesson with those kids before moving on with the next concept!”

You just can’t allow your students to feel lost or overwhelmed! You immediately decide which students will be staying in at recess with you today. You’ll move to the new notion right before lunch.

“Everyone will then be on the same page. That’s what a good teacher does!” you say to yourself. You know that making sure every student can follow is essential!

ARRIVING AT SCHOOL
As you drive into the parking lot at school, you realize that you’ll definitely need help with transporting all the stuff you have sitting in the back seat. You can’t teach without that stuff today. You spent hours preparing it last night. You scan the parking lot but quickly realize that no one is around to help you. You immediately become empowered when your innate teacher survivor skills move in. You decide to leave your coffee cup behind to free up a few fingers.

“I can do this!” you murmur as you load up your arms, hands, fingers and tuck those workbooks you corrected last night under your chin.

You grunt and squeal a few times but luckily you make it to the walkway, box, schoolbag, notebooks, and agenda at hand. You finally make it to the school’s front door without dropping anything. From a distance, you hear your name. Not able to turn, from the corner of your eye, you see Jimmy’s mom jumping out of a big black car.

“Oh boy!” you whisper to yourself. “That’s it! I’m going to drop everything!”

Mrs. Gendron runs over to you. It’s essential that she shares that her son Jimmy has an orthodontist appointment this afternoon and will be leaving at noon. You politely smile while continuously struggling to not drop anything. Luckily, Jimmy’s mom offers to open the front door for you. You politely thank her for her help and the crucial information she just shared and proceed to struggle with getting through the door. You instantly remember that school doors should definitely be made bigger than this!

“They should know that teachers travel with lots and lots of stuff. A teacher getting through a doorway is like threading spaghetti through a miniscule needle head.” you say to yourself.

Your teacher acrobatic skills instantly kick in. You twist, bend, shuffle and turn to finally get through the door as you hear the morning bell ring. You sigh as you realize that breakfast isn’t going to happen today. Luckily you threw a banana into your purse this morning. Your stomach grumbles so you quickly comfort yourself by deciding that you’ll eat your banana at snack time with the kids. Luckily, snack time is only half an hour away!

ALMOST THERE!
As you try to weave through the crowds of children in the hallway trying to get to your classroom, Matilda decides that she missed you terribly overnight and absolutely wants to give you a big bear hug this morning. You can’t possibly refuse affection from your student, so you smile, and allow her to hug you. You obviously can’t hug her back as you are fully loaded with stuff. You made it this far, but unfortunately, with Matilda’s eager and heart-felt demonstration of love, you now drop all the workbooks you had nestled under your chin.

You politely smile, hiding the fact that your teeth are clamped shut. You tighten your clasped hands and arms to assure you don’t drop your box and schoolbag as well. Luckily, several students run over to help because kids love to help teachers. Wide-eyed and eagerly, they swiftly pick up your stuff, and take the box and schoolbag off your hands. They beg to help you bring your things to your classroom. You let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness for that! I’d never make it otherwise.” you whisper.

You smile, touched by the students’ helpful and generous attention. Kids are just awesome! You think to yourself.

ARRIVED!
As you walk into your classroom, half the students are blocking the doorway, lining up to give you the fundraising money they brought from home, and the other half, not having noticed that you’re there, are swapping bendable ruler slaps onto each others’ arms.

No time to take off your coat or boots, you immediately show your presence by assertively, yet politely greeting the kids.

“Good morning, everyone!”, you roar.

You look quickly at the students’ faces and notice the eagerness with which they greet you, their smile from ear to ear.

Almost instantly, the students erupt with their daily cheerful greeting. “Good morning Mrs. Jessie!”

You smile as you take off your coat. The evening preparations and morning stress was all worth it! Which other career greets you every morning with such love and enthusiasm? Not too many!

As a teacher, you know that students are always on your mind, whether in class or not. Teaching is definitely not a 9-5 we leave behind when we go home after our shift.

We love teaching, we love kids, we feel gratified by cultivating young minds and we are touched by their progress and success. That’s why we are teachers.

Jessie Hionis retired in June of 2023 after 37 years of teaching ESL. She worked as a pedagogical and literary consultant and has co-authored the Spirals teaching materials published by Chenelière Education of Montreal, Quebec. Since retiring from her much-loved career in teaching, Jessie has now decided to fully invest in her long-term passion, the creation and publication of children’s stories. Jessie’s stories are tested and true-to life. Mostly inspired by situations arising with her students during her teaching career, Jessie’s stories entertain, while discreetly providing valuable tools for children, parents, and teachers.Jessie Hionis writes for anyone who has a soft spot for delightful, heart-warming stories that are sure to entertain children, parents, and teachers alike. Jessie’s stories are weaved to inspire, charm, captivate and cultivate kids and often deal with situations that are simply part of life. Feel free to email her or visit her web page to find out more about her books.

Jessie Hionis
Teacher and Amazon bestselling Author of LGBTQ+ families @ Books with Heart💓
jessiehionis.com
hionis.jessie@gmail.com

Welcome to The Treasure Chest Series

Whimsical and entertaining, yet candid examples of true-to-life challenges that children face daily. Heartwarming, feel-good picture books illustrate that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark it is. Stories that demonstrate strength and acceptance during life’s sometimes harsh realities. Stories that help children find that light they so often need!

At times when kids feel that their world might be falling apart, on the spot, yet entertaining focus on life’s challenges help children realize that they are not alone. Sadness, frustration, pain, and loss are tough feelings to deal with, especially for children. Show kids that they are not alone and help them cope.

Stories able to demonstrate profound feelings that allow children to feel understood. Colorful and true to life books with illuminating conclusions can, and do, cultivate strength, acceptance and teach kids resilience. Help kids build strength and character to deal with and overcome life’s obstacles with The Treasure Chest Series.

Tested and true-to-life stories that charm, captivate, and cultivate children. These rhyming picture books for newly independent readers are of interest to kids, parents, and teachers alike. They offer accurate information and promote a positive outcome in today's not so perfect world. Weaved to inspire empathy, kindness, cooperation, determination, and courage and show kids that everything will be okay!

The Treasure Chest Book 1

A Family is Love, And It's Just Right for Us 

This delightfully illustrated, rhythmic, rhyming picture book encourages and empowers children to stand up to bullies and support what they believe in, positively! A Family is Love, And It’s Just Right for Us fosters inclusivity, love, empathy, understanding and strength while entertaining readers, young and old. A beautiful example of LGBTQ+ families and some of their challenges.

Inspired by a true story of love, selflessness, perseverance, and determination, A Family is Love, And It’s Just Right for Us was written as a gift for Jessie’s new sister Kim and her family. Kim saved Jessie’s biological sister’s life by donating her kidney in 2021. Kim's boys have two wonderful moms and are, as should be, proud of it. 

A Family is Love, And It’s Just Right for Us is a wonderful tool to encourage discussions of family values, acceptance, diversity, strength, courage, and inclusiveness. Jessie Hionis, with over 3 decades of teaching experience, aims to share her expertise with bullying through this beautiful story about family, love, and positivity. Besides being a teacher, pedagogical and literary consultant, Jessie is the author of Miracle, A Parent’s Blessing, A Newborn Child, Ah! There's a Banana in the Toilet! (in French and English) My Three Wishes, Serenity and Selflessness When Dealing With Loss, For Children 7-12, The Calm and Cool Coloring Collection, Best Activity Books Ever Series (Teacher's Pick), Clumsy Rat Runs 'Round Town and has co-authored several learning materials, Spirals grades 5 and 6, published by Chenèliere Education and used in schools today.

The Treasure Chest Book 2

My Three Wishes, A Fantasy Tale about Loss and Bereavenent for Kids

Have you ever known a child that was about to lose a loved one or cherished pet? My Three Wishes, a whimsical fantasy tale about Serenity and Selflessness when Dealing with Loss. For Children 8 to 12 is an honest look at how children can find strength to cope with loss. Being selfless is part of growing, and loss is part of life. Penelope finds serenity and wisdom through her fantasy tales and discovers that being selfless can provide comfort and serenity in times of loss and bereavement.

The Treasure Chest Book 3 

Tommy's World of Tastes

Tommy loves macaroni and cheese so much that it’s the only thing he’ll eat! He eats mac and cheese every day, three times a day, seven days a week. Tommy prefers not to eat at all if mac and cheese isn’t available. “No mama! I don’t like that!” Tommy replies to any other food mom offers. But when his family embarks on an exciting summer vacation to visit friends in Mexico, India, France, Italy, and Japan, his mom worries. “What will Tommy eat all summer if there’s no mac and cheese?”

Join Tommy as he discovers new flavors, surprising ingredients, and delicious dishes from around the world. Will he stay a fussy eater, or will he take a bite of adventure? A fun and heartwarming story about food, friendship, and the joy of trying something new!

Books by Jessie Hionis

Books available at all fine bookstores and distributors.  School and library prices available at Ingram.

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For more information about school visits, library and bookstore readings and wholesale purchases, contact us at hionis.jessie@gmail.com