So, This is Summer. . . .

Every year, on the first day of summer vacation, I wake up confused, look around, realize the sun is up, momentarily think I am late, remember that I'm not, and attempt to go back to sleep.  Just about the time I am finally successful, either a child or a dog jumps on my bed and reminds me that, even though it's summer vacation, there's still lots of work to be done.
So, what will you be doing with your summer vacation?
I still have a ton of data to disaggregate
A guided reading library to re-build
Summer training to write
Beginning of the year training to write
A little girl who needs to practice reading every day
And of course I am thinking about how to decorate my classroom this time around
That's a lot to do for someone who is "off" for a couple of months.
The thing is, lots of people think that teachers are so lucky because they have the whole summer off, but we don't really have very long off at all and most of that time we spend working. I have a professional development to attend this Thursday.  That's three days with the fam and  then back to work for 8 hours--for free, mind you.
I'm not complaining--I signed up to go because I want to go, not because I have to.  But, my point is, teachers are almost always working, even when we're by the pool. We're thinking about our kids, this year's, next year's, every year's. We're thinking about what we can do better next time and new things we want to try.  While it is nice that we don't have to drive in to work every day at the crack of dawn for a few weeks, we are not sitting around eating Bon Bon's and watching television (much!).  Most of us are still working, a lot of the time.  While I'm not exactly sure that anyone ever actually got three months off, we certainly don't get that off now.  It's already the second week of June and we go back the second week of August, so that's two months at best.  People who say we get three months off exaggerate a bit, I'm afraid.
But I'm fine with not getting three months off. I'm ready to go back after about three weeks.  Why?  Because I love my job. I miss the kids. I miss the adults.  I miss having responsibilities other than the normal household stuff I have to do year round anyway.  I love the challenge of the new school year. My principal mentioned the other day, we work in one of the only professions that has built-in "do-overs."  That's not exactly what she said, her take was more eloquent, but you get the picture.  Don't like the way something went last year, guess what?  You get to start all over in a couple of months and try again.  That's awesome.
Teaching is exciting and rewarding. It's challenging and exhausting and it's the only profession where you still get to have recess everyday. It may also be the only profession where you can run down the hall and grab a ketchup packet if you forget yours at lunch, but with the unusual and crazy comes the amazing wonder of seeing a child learn a concept for the first time.
The guy who said the three best things about teaching are June, July, and August got the August part right, that's for sure.
I will continue to post from time to time over the summer but if you are too busy enjoying your family, sleeping in, spending time at the beach, and watching the sunset to read, that's okay. I'll be here when we go back in the "fall."
Take care!