June 4th. I’ve been on summer break for
approximately one week and 2 days. And I totally understand now why teachers
need breaks. The general public doesn’t understand it. How could they—what they
know about school is what they experienced between the ages of 5 and 18 years
old. Lets face it—our memories of those times are overwhelmed with the really
good or the really bad experiences, maybe one a year until High School, and
then the academic experiences fade away and are replaced with the social
memories. This is totally appropriate with the way we develop, but not all that
accurate of a picture of what teaching
is.
Teaching is
exhausting. It is 100%, all-encompassing, all-consuming, nonstop, 50+ hours a
week, 5 days a week for 10 months of your life. Yes, we get a week break here
and there—but that’s just enough time to catch your breath. Rather like running
a marathon spring break is the water station at mile 18. Having a multi-week
break is not a “right” or about teachers working less hard than others. This
break is a chance for us to refuel and remember why we do what we do. One week and 2 days ago I could not wait to get out of Dodge. I had just
finished my first year of teacher a rag-tag group of first graders and I needed
out before the walls closed in on me. I was over it—over kids, untied shoes,
tears over insignificant issues, the lack of tears I saw at significant issues,
the staff meetings, the tutoring, the parent contacts and lack of contacts,
over lesson plans and new plans, and most definitely over testing, testing,
testing. (I’m still over testing but that’s another rant...)
What I needed was a true respite.
For the next one week and 2 days I did absolutely nothing for school. I sunned by the pool, went shopping, watched
movies, made doctors appointments, cooked dinner, called friends, and visited
with family. Not once did the subject of school cross my mind. I went on a
purge of sorts, literally putting all my school stuff in the closet and walked
away. And it was JUST what I needed.
Today, I woke up and checked my
email and got the boost I needed. But before I explain the email, we need to
rewind a bit. I started a project 4 months ago through DonorsChoose.org, a
great website where individuals can donate any amount of money they want to a
project they think will help students in classrooms across the U.S. ago on a
whim of sorts. I had a boom box and headphones, but very few story books on
tape/cd that the kids could follow along to. So I whipped up a project on DonorsChoose
and thought, what the heck. I was trying to get $300 for books and cds for my
classroom. 3 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days later (which would be yesterday) I got
an email saying this was the last day my project was available to funded and I
still needed $138. Oh well, I thought… it was a great idea but I had already
hounded so many people for so many things that it just wasn’t going to happen.
Sigh…. Chalk it up to the first year.
Back to today—Check my email… and
my project has been fully funded! I got it! $300 worth of books and audiobooks
for my classroom next year, and yesterday it wasn’t going to happen. Some
stranger believed in the work I am doing and wants great things for my kids.
This was the boost I needed. I was like a gun went off and I’m ready for the
race again. I’ve spent nearly 2 hours looking at professional development
books, writing down to-do lists for my projects this summer, checking out new
ideas and books for the classroom. Suddenly, I’m back.
This is why teachers need breaks.
We need time to walk completely away. For me, this year, it took one week and 2
days to remember why I’m doing this. I needed (and still need) time to
re-energize me and to fuel up so I can give it all again to my kids in August.
I plan to leave all of me with those kids again next year, but first I need
time to become the best I can for them. I need time to read books because I
want to, so I can tell them truly how great reading is. I need time to cook and
lay by the pool so that when August comes I can do the work I need to with a
joyful heart instead of cursing. Teaching is loving with your whole heart and
giving it your all—and you can’t do that when you’re running on empty.
