Slice of Life is sponsored by Stacey and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers
Tonight marks the end of my Christmas Break. Technically, it
was Sunday night, today was an inservice day. However, I consider tonight the
“actual” end. Today I got the room ready, met with teams of teachers, entered
grades for report cards, and more. And while I did that, I grieved.
I love being a teacher, love it! I am happy to say my job is
something I am passionate about. But as much as I enjoy teaching, I have
learned to love the breaks as well. I think I, like most teachers, give 110% of
myself in the classroom. By the end of the day I would love to crash on the
couch. By Friday, forget about it, I’m exhausted. Before I had kids I could
actually rest. Now, I push that exhaustion aside and become Mom.
Being a parent and a teacher is hard but wonderful. I am a
better teacher for being a parent. That being said, often feel that I have
three full time jobs: Mom, teacher, and graduate student. So you might see why
I was ready for break.
It was a two-week break, two glorious weeks. And what did I
do for those two weeks, nothing. Not really nothing, but nothing in that I
relaxed. I hung out with my sons; we made pilgrimages to the library. Read,
baked, organized, etc. It was an amazing two weeks, and now, they are over.
So, as I was saying, today I grieved. I was excited to see
my students but so sad to give up that relaxed person I had become. But then I
went to my classroom website tonight. When I was there I noticed a “chat” had
begun between three students about what they read over break and how they
needed to get back to school to check out more books. Clicking on the “book
response” page I noticed nine students had already entered their response for
the week, five days early. I wrote back to them and felt that feeling again,
that desire to teach.
Then I thought of my “one little word” for 2012, be.
I’m going to try and be more balanced in my life, be
there for my boys, be present in my every day life, etc. So I embrace the end of
break and am ready to begin the second semester with a new perspective.
