We are in our last week of classes. Whew! The year has flown by, but last week and this week have been two v-e-r-y long weeks. We are in the midst of the annual struggle between teachers who are desperately trying to finish up lesson plans, get in last minute grades, and keep order and sanity in the classroom; and students who are struggling with acute spring fever, don’t see the point in working, and generally want to spend the day goofing off. When you add to that the end-of-year traditions like field days sponsored by the PE department, a student/faculty baseball game, field trips, and more, you begin to see just how frustrating days can be.
We are also shutting down aspects of school that impact how this battle is waged. Textbooks have been turned in. Today we are closing out student lockers. And the last minute scramble for professional development hours is on!
Teaching is a great job. I love it. But at this time of year, an old quote about pastoring churches comes to mind. Paraphrased, it goes: “Teaching would be great if it weren’t for the kids.” While this is a tongue-in-cheek approach (and certainly not true for any real teacher), these last days of school lend us to breath a different viewpoint: “Teaching would be great if we didn’t have to stop for the summer.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to our summer break as much as the next teacher. Yet, I have to wonder if these days wouldn’t ultimately be easier if it was a shorter, more frequently scheduled break as in a year round calendar. Of course, about the middle of July I will be wishing the summer were a little longer!
Whether you are a teacher, student, or parent, feel free to leave me a comment on what you think about year-round schooling.
Add A Comment