Many say the best part about being a teacher is summer vacation. Two solid months of no work, where you can just kick it and relax. And that is exactly what I planned to do. I went on a cruise. I spent 2 weeks at my parents' house. I spent 2 weeks in DC, just to enjoy the city. I went to Cape Cod with Buddy for 4 days. I saw friends I hadn't seen in years. I spent some time in NYC with friends. And I even managed to be at my parents' place in time for my mom's birthday. This was all done with my final 2 weeks of summer to be dedicated to school, working on planning and setting up programs for this coming year, as well as helping new teachers prepare for the mayhem to come.
While I was able to do all of these wonderful things, I managed to work my way through the entire summer. I was sitting in the airport the day after school ended (about to hop on a plane to Budapest), and I found myself frantically sending emails before take off. Even when I was on the Danube River in Austria, I was completing attendance for days that decided not to log my attendance entry. I was sitting by the pool, and couldn't help but read through English standards and deciding which I would use in my curriculum for the year. I came back to DC and promptly picked up a tutoring job. I went to Cape Cod, and compulsively talked about how I would set up the theme for my classroom. I went into New York City to visit friends, and spent 5 hours in a Starbucks, deciding which literary devices would go with which units I've picked. IT. NEVER. STOPS.
I have conversations with other teachers and can't help but talk about the upcoming year. What is to come? What will you do differently? What are you teaching? How are you preparing for X, Y, and Z? Did you hear about [enter fun gossip topic here]? I can't talk to a single teacher without discussing what's to come this next year. Some teachers are raging excited for all the potential of a new school year. Others are not so optimistic, painfully aware of the let down we have experienced at the beginning of each new school year. False promises, empty hope, crushed dreams.
I obviously love talking about work (I'm clearly spending my free time writing about it...) so it's not talking about it that is so irritating. It's that whenever I talk about work, I have a compulsive need to be productive. Every conversation is a reminder of all the preparations I need to make for this coming year. When I was asked to think about what a productive, efficient, and effective after school program could look like, I created an 11 page proposal and promptly met with my principal, asking for the authority to run said program. When I talked about how I might go about planning for English, I immediately hunker down and create a long term plan. When confronted with the idea of creating a theme for my classroom, I brainstormed for a few hours and drafted a vision. I can't JUST have a conversation about work – I have to do something every time I talk about it. It's not very relaxing.
Granted, I do not want to sound super whiney. I clearly do all of these things because I love my job. And I do. Terribly. I love my job so much that I take on even more jobs within the school (i.e. the after school program). I'm just frustrated because I didn't really have a vacation. I spent the entire time preparing for this upcoming year. With all this preparing, one would assume that I have set myself up for a (relatively) easy first few weeks back.
That's where I get REALLY frustrated. I spent all that time creating a beautiful after school program, sending it out to teachers and coaches requesting feedback... and it's likely not going to happen. Not because I'm raging pessimistic about change at my school (I've been pretty successful at changing things up), but I can't have the position I need in order to officially implement it. I'm going to need to convince someone else that my program is what they should use and then do all the work for free. Yes, for free. (I'm never one to say no to something that benefits children, but I'm extremely tempted.) I have been emailing my principal with minimal response (he's a bit busy with more important things... like hiring teachers for vacant positions) which does not bode well for my program. So I spent all this time developing a program, while on "vacation", and it is likely going to be a waste.
I haven't lost all hope. I will clearly continue to fight for this program to get set up, but I'm not going to be surprised if it gets shot down before Day 1. While my after school program may not get adopted (this year), the cluster is moving in the right direction. I was given the authority to be the "cluster leader" again this year - allowing me to continue implementing my 3 year plan for the ID cluster. Our new subject of "Business Skills" was approved, allowing us to give our students even more useful instruction during the day. The principal gave me a dean that will be assigned to the cluster, moving towards some consistency in administration with my babies. It's not all wasted work (thank GOD!) I still have 2 weeks until we report back for Professional Development, though. Both of which I'm in the District for.... who knows what I will get done!
Soooooooo.... that's what I did on my summer vacation.
While I was able to do all of these wonderful things, I managed to work my way through the entire summer. I was sitting in the airport the day after school ended (about to hop on a plane to Budapest), and I found myself frantically sending emails before take off. Even when I was on the Danube River in Austria, I was completing attendance for days that decided not to log my attendance entry. I was sitting by the pool, and couldn't help but read through English standards and deciding which I would use in my curriculum for the year. I came back to DC and promptly picked up a tutoring job. I went to Cape Cod, and compulsively talked about how I would set up the theme for my classroom. I went into New York City to visit friends, and spent 5 hours in a Starbucks, deciding which literary devices would go with which units I've picked. IT. NEVER. STOPS.
I have conversations with other teachers and can't help but talk about the upcoming year. What is to come? What will you do differently? What are you teaching? How are you preparing for X, Y, and Z? Did you hear about [enter fun gossip topic here]? I can't talk to a single teacher without discussing what's to come this next year. Some teachers are raging excited for all the potential of a new school year. Others are not so optimistic, painfully aware of the let down we have experienced at the beginning of each new school year. False promises, empty hope, crushed dreams.
I obviously love talking about work (I'm clearly spending my free time writing about it...) so it's not talking about it that is so irritating. It's that whenever I talk about work, I have a compulsive need to be productive. Every conversation is a reminder of all the preparations I need to make for this coming year. When I was asked to think about what a productive, efficient, and effective after school program could look like, I created an 11 page proposal and promptly met with my principal, asking for the authority to run said program. When I talked about how I might go about planning for English, I immediately hunker down and create a long term plan. When confronted with the idea of creating a theme for my classroom, I brainstormed for a few hours and drafted a vision. I can't JUST have a conversation about work – I have to do something every time I talk about it. It's not very relaxing.
Granted, I do not want to sound super whiney. I clearly do all of these things because I love my job. And I do. Terribly. I love my job so much that I take on even more jobs within the school (i.e. the after school program). I'm just frustrated because I didn't really have a vacation. I spent the entire time preparing for this upcoming year. With all this preparing, one would assume that I have set myself up for a (relatively) easy first few weeks back.
That's where I get REALLY frustrated. I spent all that time creating a beautiful after school program, sending it out to teachers and coaches requesting feedback... and it's likely not going to happen. Not because I'm raging pessimistic about change at my school (I've been pretty successful at changing things up), but I can't have the position I need in order to officially implement it. I'm going to need to convince someone else that my program is what they should use and then do all the work for free. Yes, for free. (I'm never one to say no to something that benefits children, but I'm extremely tempted.) I have been emailing my principal with minimal response (he's a bit busy with more important things... like hiring teachers for vacant positions) which does not bode well for my program. So I spent all this time developing a program, while on "vacation", and it is likely going to be a waste.
I haven't lost all hope. I will clearly continue to fight for this program to get set up, but I'm not going to be surprised if it gets shot down before Day 1. While my after school program may not get adopted (this year), the cluster is moving in the right direction. I was given the authority to be the "cluster leader" again this year - allowing me to continue implementing my 3 year plan for the ID cluster. Our new subject of "Business Skills" was approved, allowing us to give our students even more useful instruction during the day. The principal gave me a dean that will be assigned to the cluster, moving towards some consistency in administration with my babies. It's not all wasted work (thank GOD!) I still have 2 weeks until we report back for Professional Development, though. Both of which I'm in the District for.... who knows what I will get done!
Soooooooo.... that's what I did on my summer vacation.
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