Throughout the country, hundreds of thousands of educators are preparing for classes tomorrow, following a much-needed Thanksgiving break. I am not one of them. After nearly five full decades as a teacher and administrator, it is on days like this that I fully realize the privileges and pleasures of retirement.
Those who will send their children back to school tomorrow, grateful for the time they have just shared and equally glad to “give them back,” very likely have no idea how much time and thought teachers dedicated over the break. In my experience, Wednesday and Thursday tend to be days of true relaxation. Starting Friday, and certainly moving into Saturday and Sunday, the realities of papers still to grade, lesson plans to prepare, upcoming parent conferences, students of concern, and the relentless curricular calendar begin to loom large. The days between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks are jammed with festivities (rehearsals, class celebrations, clothing/gift drives), sometimes challenging weather, term exams in many high schools, and report cards (including comments) in increasing numbers. Add to those responsibilities the parents who will elect to keep their children out of school for a couple of extra travel days yet expect teachers to provide work and experience identical to classmates’ who returned on time. Student/Parent Handbooks clearly state that parents (or students themselves, by a certain age) should notify schools at least two weeks in advance, in writing, of planned absences, and that those same schools are not responsible to provide work missed by choice. The problem, of course, is that students are rarely the ones making the choices, and those carefully created handbooks have never been read.
Not all teachers are responsible and caring. Everybody knows that. The very real fact is, however, that the vast majority of educators give more than anyone who has not spent time on the teaching side of a classroom can possibly understand. Believe it or not, they are rarely not thinking of their school responsibilities on some level. Whether it is listening to the news and considering how national and international stories might inform or impact their classroom discussions (Which students, for instance, know someone living close to the California fires or have had a frightening experience with fire? How might the recent fires relate to conversations about climate change?), discovering a new recipe and contemplating the math lessons contained therein, or reading a book or seeing a movie that underscores key themes in a unit of study, a good teachers’ senses are tuned.
For me, it was easy to recognize when a vacation started to end – usually a few days prior to the resumption of classes. It was simply part of embracing the all-encompassing world of being an educator. School thoughts would start edging into my vacation thoughts: things to do, papers to grade, meetings to confirm, parents or colleagues to email. Because it was such a natural part of my life for so long, it was not until this Thanksgiving break, shared with a teacher friend (now a college professor) and her husband, that I recognized just how all-encompassing that pattern used to be. As she started to obsess about the tremendous load of work ahead of her, I was fully aware that, for the first time in decades, I didn’t have a single similar concern.
For all of you returning to school tomorrow, you have my blessings and a deep debt of gratitude. I know how hard you work and the relentless pressure you put on yourselves to provide the best possible experiences for the students in your classrooms and the athletes on your teams. For all of you returning your children to school tomorrow, I cannot overstate the level of insight, integrity, patience, intellectualism (yes, including those working in the area of early childhood), and dedication that are quietly provided by teachers on a daily basis – including “breaks.” Never underestimate your own potential to support those teachers by expressing your appreciation for all they do.
Glass Full 