Rejuvenated

Summer is a time to reset the teaching clock. No one who isn't a teacher or doesn't hang around with teachers can possibly understand this. Most just think it is a "vacation." I really don't think I could keep doing this year after year if there weren't a few weeks in the year when I'm wasn't doing it. I know that sounds strange coming from a person who proclaims to be dedicated to her profession. Last summer was a serious challenge with only 3 weeks between school and summer school and school again. This summer I made a conscious choice to make a break in between. We are losing a week of summer already because of a schedule change made by the district. I'm not one of those complaining about it but even if I wanted to do it, I knew this was not the year to do summer school. Instead I signed up for a workshop the week after school was out. On the first day, I was wondering what I was thinking and by day 4 it was getting harder and harder to drag myself out the door but I was glad I did it. It was one of those events that invigorated me and made me happy to be a teacher again. Those moments are not that common anymore in this time of standards and high stakes testing and everyone feeling like they know what and how you should teach. Teaching as a profession just isn't that much fun anymore. One of my mantras in my low times is "How am I ever going to keep doing this for 10 more years." Well this workshop was different. This workshop has the potential to be a game changer for, not only me, but for any of our staff who is willing to get involved in an honest and authentic discussion about this thing called teaching. I am revived and rejuvenated. I am also now ready for summer. I am ready for raising chicks and holding my granddaughter as well as my grandfather and being amazed by the marvels of Alaska. I am ready to garden and harvest and preserve. And, yes, I am also ready to delve into a new reading and writing text book so that when August 11 rolls around, I'll be ready and raring to go again.