Rinse and Repeat

In the morning my alarm is going to go off at an inhumane hour as I drag my bones out of bed and back to reality.

My Facebook feed is full of my fellow educators commiserating with one another the special brand of "Monday-blues"  reserved for teachers after a holiday break. The first Monday back at school after Winter Break is always a little difficult, but somehow the vivid feeling always seems to fade until you're facing it again.

Humor... the forgotten stage of grief. 

To the outside eye, it may appear that teachers, as we complain about returning to work after our annual two-week break, are spoiled. (And admittedly, maybe, in some ways we are.) But there's another side to the complaining our social media circles may not be privy to.

Teachers live in a unique state of flux, a strange dimension between "Change" and "Repetition". It's exciting, invigorating, even inspiring... and also incredibly draining.

Each day we go through the same routine, interact with the same students, and deal with the same issues. We go through the entire year, confident and dedicated, and when the summer nights end- rinse and repeat with a new group of students.

But the demands are shifting, student needs are changing, and we cannot afford to get comfortable.

We're like ninjas.  We look like we have it completely together, and for the most part we do! But we're also waiting, constantly poised- ready for anything that may be thrown at us.  Even when the school-day ends, the badge of "teacher" is one that is never completely put down.  (Like accidentally telling someone else's kids in the grocery store to use their inside voice... oops.)

Holiday breaks serve an essential part of being able to maintain this vigilance.  It allows us a chance to let-down our guard, stop the constant buzz, heal, and recuperate.   It's a stark contrast from our usual state, and it's difficult to allow ourselves to fully "relax" after being at such a high state of attention for so long.

Usually during summer vacation it takes me two weeks to get used to the idea of being able to go to the grocery store in the middle of the day, and that it's OK to stay home on Saturday because it's no longer my only day to get everything done.  Add the holiday madness of Winter Break, family get-togethers, visits out of town, and hosting friends... those two weeks are usually transformed into just a few days, and we are left scratching our heads when the calendar betrays us.

Before we've had a chance to properly inhale, it's back to school time and we're out of breath again.

The good news is- even though we joke about wishing we could trade places with a cat being dragged the vet, we're happy to be back at work.

We are NOT happy to get up early, to deal with angry e-mails, or to give-up our wardrobe consisting mainly of pajamas and exercise clothing... but we ARE happy to see our students, our coworkers, to be productive, creating, sharing, teaching, inspiring.

It feels good to be in the classroom again.
That's where teachers belong- and that's what we are.

Note to self. ;)

We just need to remember that's not all we are, and that it's OK to let ourselves rest sometimes along the way... even if Winter Break is over.