What It’s Like Teaching a 4-Day School Week as an Elementary Teacher

When people hear that I teach on a four-day school week, the reaction is usually immediate: That sounds amazing.

And honestly, it is.

It sounded amazing to me before I ever experienced it, and after living it, I can say it really is as good as people imagine.

In fact, I have told my husband more than once that if we ever move, I either need another job in a four day school district or I need a completely different career, because I genuinely do not know how I would willingly go back to teaching five days a week after this.

The slightly longer days are absolutely worth it for the extra day off.

My Teaching Schedule on a 4-Day School Week

Our school year starts around the third week of August and ends in the first week of June.

My contract hours are 7:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Students come into class at 7:25, and our school day ends at 3:30.

It is a long day, especially for elementary students, but the schedule is built in a way that makes it manageable.

Recess and movement are spaced out over the day so students have necessary breaks.

In second grade, I give a 15-minute morning recess because our morning starts early and they are seven years old. Expecting them to stay focused all day without 2 recesses simply does not make sense to me. They also get a recess before lunch that lasts 20 minutes, and then they have a 22-minute PE class in the afternoon every day.

In addition, I do multiple movement breaks and mini workouts in between lessons. The kids are actually moving quite a bit throughout the day.

How We Fit Everything Into Four School Days

One thing that surprises people about a 4-day school week is how much we still fit into those four days. Every day, I teach reading with social studies woven in, along with phonics, math, and writing in the general education classroom.

Our students have an hour and a half of specials every afternoon, and they rotate through three specials each day.

They have music and PE every day, which I think helps tremendously with the longer schedule. Science and art alternate every other day.

In addition to that, they also have:

• Spanish once a week (funded through a grant)
• One SEL class each week with our counselor
• Library once a week
• One computer block on i-Ready each week

The day is full, but very efficient.

How a 4-Day School District Meets Required School Days

People often ask how a four-day school district fits enough instructional days into the year.

The answer is that the calendar is very intentional.

We go to school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day. We do not have separate conference days because conferences happen after school for a full week instead. Our four teacher work days happen on Fridays, which means those weeks do become five day work weeks for teachers.

We also live in a very snowy mountain area, so snow days are extremely rare because snow is simply part of daily life here.

We are able to meet the minimum required number of instructional days because almost every part of the calendar is designed around protecting that four-day work week.

Why a 4-Day School Week Is Especially Good for Teachers Who Are Moms

For me, the biggest benefit is not just having one less teaching day. It is what that third day does for my energy.

As a mom, that extra day changes the entire rhythm of life.

Instead of spending a two-day weekend trying to recover, catch up, prepare for Monday, and handle everything family life requires, there is actual breathing room.

That extra day helps me feel refreshed enough to return to work ready for another week.

It also gives me space to think beyond survival.

A big reason I have been able to build a side hustle, write a blog, and create phonics resources is because I have one extra day each week where I can actually work on ideas that matter to me outside the classroom.

Without that third day, I honestly do not think I would have had the capacity to build anything consistently.

Teacher Salary in a High-Cost Ski Town

The financial side of teaching here is more complicated. I would not be able to live and work here without the help of my husband’s salary. He pays most of our bills.

I teach in a very expensive ski town where the average home price is over $800,000, and my salary is $53,000.

I do not currently have my master’s degree, but right now it does not feel worth paying for graduate school for the relatively small salary increase it would bring.

At this stage, I would rather use my extra time to build additional income through other projects than invest in a degree that would take years to pay off.

That is another reason the extra day matters so much.

What Families Do on Fridays in a 4-Day School District

A lot of families here use Fridays exactly the way people imagine they would: they ski.

That is genuinely part of the culture in a ski town.

But not every family skis.

Some families use Fridays for appointments, time together, errands, or other activities. For parents who still work five days a week, students can either participate in a full-day ski program or attend childcare through our local recreation center.

The four-day week has become part of how family life works in this community.

Do Students Perform Well Academically on a 4-Day School Week?

One of the biggest questions people ask is whether students fall behind academically with one less school day.

Of course every school in our district has different outcomes, but overall our district sees strong academic performance.

My school in particular had some of the highest test scores in the state last year, earning us the John Irwin School of Excellence Award.

Students perform very well, but context also matters.

This is a very affluent area. We are not a Title I school (but we do have one in our district). Parent involvement is high, and my school in particular, almost has a private school feel because of the expectations, support, and community around it.

It is a strong school with high standards, and the work done during those four days is serious.

The expectations for teachers and students are high, and the results reflect that.

Would I Ever Go Back to Teaching Five Days a Week?

Honestly, it would be hard. I don’t think I could go back to 5 days.

By Thursday, everyone is definitely tired. The days are full, and the work is demanding.
But that extra day creates enough recovery that Monday feels manageable again.
Once you experience that rhythm, it is very difficult to imagine giving it up.

Interested in learning more? Send me a message below!