Perhaps part of the reason why I wanted to be a teacher was because a part of me really never wanted to grow up. It is at this time of year, the end of the summer, that I truly feel like a kid again. I start staying up later and sleeping in (which is torture because I then have to re-train myself to wake up early), I start lounging around the house more claiming “But it’s one of my last days of summer freedom! I shouldn’t have to do any work, or even get out of my pjs until at least Days of Our Lives is over” (2 pm for those of you who don’t know).
Then, just as I’m sure the kids say when they get their schedules for the new school year, I get my class lists and immediately say “EEeewww….I have that kid again??” or “Awww man, not that one! Everyone says he/she’s terrible!” And then I step back and laugh at myself for being so much like my students.
Inevitably, just as I sit here tonight, the day before the start of the school year (at least for teachers) arrives and it is time to pull myself out of summer beach mode and slap on the responsible, professional teacher role. And, just as I’m sure my honor’s freshmen are saying right now, I sit here and think “the summer’s over and I didn’t read the book that was assigned for the first day of school.” Ha, gotta love being a teacher and being young at heart I guess.
So it’s the night before I go back to work and I’m trying to lull myself into some sort of pre-slumber state so that I can fall asleep at a reasonable time. My plan, as laughable as it sounds, is to wake up at 5:30 tomorrow morning so that I can go to the gym before getting ready to go to professional development. I’m always a little nervous about the first day back, even though it seems silly now that I’m a “seasoned veteran” in my fourth year of teaching (insert sarcasm here if you missed it earlier). It’s also exciting because, as much as I love my summers off, I do get bored and lack the intellectual stimulation that I get from teaching. So, tomorrow it’s back to the grind: getting the classroom ready for the kids, getting my books from the book room (which is always on the other end of the universe from where my classroom is located) and catching up on the planning and reading that I should have done over the summer so that I’m ready to teach. Ahhhh…..I can’t wait.
I’m sure I’ll have some more lovely updates now that life is starting again. Until then…..adios amigos.
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