Starting summer break is always weird.
I look forward to it for weeks while I finish up the million things that I have to do at school. This year was especially taxing. Not only did I have six classes instead of five to wrap up, I had graduation to run.
I had tests and quizzes and essays to grade.
I had make-ups and credit recovery to chase.
I had seniors to hound about credits, parents to call about failing grades, graduation rehearsals to plan and run, a senior picnic to organize, and the list really keeps going.
It was a whirlwind.
This past Tuesday I was at school from 7:15am until 8:30pm because of graduation. I didn’t go home between school and the ceremony because I had so much to work on and it seemed silly to drive 40 minutes home just to turn around and come back.
Wednesday and Thursday were half days for the students, but I still had meetings and grading to get done in the afternoon.
When Friday finally showed up, I was in sort of a daze.
For two hours the staff had their final meeting of the year and then we were free.
We had our annual staff get-together at a teacher’s house to unwind and gab about the latest dirt and rumors in the district about what could possibly happen to our jobs, and then it was time to go.
I got home and just sat.
After all the constant going and doing over the past few weeks I was suddenly done.
So what did I do? I fell asleep on the couch while Cort watched Tivo-ed episodes of Whale Wars.
Today I woke up somewhat refreshed.
Cort bought me a Groupon to get a shellac mani/pedi so I cashed that in, treated myself to a venti frappacino at Starbucks, and did a little shopping at Target.
I still don’t think it’s sunk in yet that I am done with work for a few months.
And it’s hard to enjoy because my district faces a pantload of cuts again due to decisions made in Lansing, but we won’t know until the end of June who is getting pink slipped.
And it could be August before I see a teaching assignment or schedule.
Of course the snide comments about how easy my job is because I get 2.5 months off each summer have already started.
It’s hard to come off one of the most difficult teaching years of my career and get slapped with a “pfft. I wish I got more than two months off every year. must be nice!”
It is nice, yes.
And if I had to teach year ’round? I would consider another job.
And if you want your summers off too? They DO still have teaching certificates available. You could go to school for the rest of your life and pay $175 each time it expires to keep it too.
Go ahead.
I’ll be your biggest cheerleader.
Anyway…what was I talking about?
I don’t even know.
This post is not going anywhere.
But I am off for the summer. There are haters, but guess what. I still have the summer off.
Well, until I start that class in two weeks that I have to pay for in order to keep my teaching certificate which expires next year that I have to pay $175 to keep so I can have a job…if there is a job for me.
Yay! Summer!