The Things I Look Forward to About Returning to School (And the Things I Really Don’t)
I look forward to: seeing my kids. They grow over these sixteen days of vacation, I swear they do. Boys that barely reached my shoulder can look me in the eye. I have to point up at kids when I yell at them. They have fresh haircuts and new nonuniform hoodies which require continual wrangling.
I do not look forward to: the meeting that starts off the teacher workday. There will be breakfast, so that’s delightful. But there will also be unnecessary hoops to jump through, some of them flaming, and “exciting” new projects and programs that will eat into my already-slim planning time.
I look forward to: seeing my kids. I worry about them over the break, you know. Are their parents still fighting in front of them? Are they riding around with drunk drivers? (Yes. So often, yes.) Are they getting enough to eat without breakfast, lunch, and a snack provided by the school? I like being able to check in on them regularly.
I do not look forward to: the physical pain that accompanies the first week back. I’ve gotten soft in the past couple of weeks. Eight hours on my feet kills my back, my throat hurts from all the talking, and I constantly chug cranberry juice to compensate for only peeing once a day.
I look forward to: seeing my kids. They’re always enthusiastic that first week or two. They’ve had time to get bored hanging around their apartments, and they’re ready to see their friends and reconnect and - dare I say it - maybe even learn something new.
I do not look forward to: the routine craziness that comes with being in school; trying to schedule any and all doctor’s appointments during my planning period, answering phone calls from students about homework while attempting to read my own kid a bedtime story, frantically repairing a broken copier while my kids line up outside my room.
I look forward to: seeing my kids. You see, the longer I teach, the more I miss them over the break. I love the time off, and I love the time with my own family (although if I have to play Candyland one more time, I swear to God…) But these kids are my family too. I’ve missed them, and I can’t wait to get caught up on Monday.