Don't laugh, we are. Sure, there are challenges we face everyday - NCLB, crazy students, crazy parents, crazy administrators, etc. Everyone faces challenges in the workplace, but teachers are lucky in one particular area. We get built in breaks in our year to not only help us with the stress and workload of the job, but also a chance to get away from the students. They also get to get away from us for a bit. In addition to breaks like Spring Break, we get to start over every fall. While many of the job responsibilities are the same, we get fresh new faces to mold again.
Almost everyone is eager for a new school year to begin. Sure, we don't want summer to end and neither do the students, but you can't ignore the sense of excitement that exists with the start of a new school year and the questions it brings. What will your students be like? The students wonder what their teacher will be like? What will the administration pile on our plates this year? Who are the new teachers? I can't think of any other profession that has an excitement like this every year. We get to recharge over the summer, learn more about our profession, and enjoy some time "off." Most other jobs and careers just keep going. One project leads to another, one month to the next. We have something to look forward to - June! Others, they have nothing to look forward to. We can count on breaks throughout the year to give us the much needed 3 R's - rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation. You know as well as I do how much we look forward to Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, Spring Break, and Summer Break. Does any other job have that luxury? I don't think so.
Why am I writing this now? Sure, it seems that this entry would make more sense some other time of the year. Well, since I'm in the middle of Spring Break, I'm recharging. This break is going to help me come back to school soon with a fresh outlook and a willingness to know that there is only about 1/4 of the school year left to accomplish a lot. However, while there's still work to do, knowing that we are lucky to have breaks to help us make it through these times makes it just a little easier.
While you are complaining, as I sometimes do, about unruly students, too low pay, piles and piles of work, NCLB demands, and the rest of the stuff that often bogs us down, keep in mind that while I'm wrapping up Spring Break in the next week, and you may have already, the next big break will be here in no time and we can start this wonderful career all over again next fall!
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i think it's often easy to forget the positives of any situation, especially when you're in the midst of the hardships and really feeling the challenges. but i totally agree that in the area of vacations, teachers are really lucky.
thanks so much for stopping by my site! glad to have "met" you. :)
Same here, Lara. I hope you come back and visit.
Hell yeah, we're lucky! I have all next week off and I am going to SO enjoy it. Plus, today? Red Sox brunch day!
Don't get me wrong, I love vacations and all the time I get off but one of the down sides of these vacations is that they always come in the busiest and most expensive times of the year. I was on sabbatical one year and went to Jamaica at the end of January instead of my usual XMAS. We took my 21 year old son and spent $1000 less than we spent one year later when we left him home. And, heaven forbid you need a few days to take care of some personal stuff! These things can't always wait until vacation time.
Pissed Off - I know exactly what you mean. Christmas and Easter are the most expensive times to travel and who wants to go to the Caribbean or Disney in July!