The Last 10 Days of a School Year
Honestly, I don't know how we do it... and by *we* I mean teachers. Once the hardcore press of testing is over, we are done. I mean, everyone is done. The kids most of all. They have had to endure HOURS of testing for days. Even the K-2 kids get tested and then tested some more... reading, math, writing... a seemingly endless cycle. The whole process wears everyone out so when the last test is taken and the pencils have been sharpened down to nubs, it's time to go home! BUT NO that's not what the state does. They say, "Let's make them all stay for three more weeks so we can get those mandatory 180 days in." If they only knew the ridiculousness of this decision!
So we teachers try to come up with things to do for all of these days... the last week especially... things like:
Game Day
Water Day
Class Picnic
Field Day
Pizza Day
Arts and Crafts Day
Get the cart of iPads and let them play for a couple of hours a day (or 3)
Movie and Popcorn Day
Sidewalk Chalk Day and throw in some popsicles on any of these days!
You get the idea. We are pretty much glorified babysitters running a daycare at this point. Of course, my entire class will be at school for these last few days b/c the parents are going to send them up until the very last minute b/c soon they will be "on duty." In between all of this fun, we have a mountain of paperwork to do and submit, report cards to do and turn in for approval, classrooms to clean and pack up for the summer. We have been stuck with no "Specials" 3 out of the 5 days the last two weeks (this means no planning time for us), and we have had to eat in our classrooms the last two weeks. We are teetering very close to that Edge, People. Every teacher in my school is looking worn out and in need of some re-charging ASAP. I can see it on their faces, their body language. I can see it when I look in the mirror! This time of year is rough. We try to hang on. We talk to ourselves all day long... "I can do this." "Only 3 more hours." "Only 1 more hour." We line up in the hall ready for dismissal before the announcements come on because we are READY.
Well, that last glorious day finally arrived... June 11th, a MONDAY of all days! I had 11 out of 17 kids show up. I had them finish up some math work in the morning. They watched videos. They went to "Specials" for an hour and that was a fabulous one hour for all of us teachers. They played outside for a very long time; I gave them popsicles, cupcakes, juice boxes, chips... anything I had leftover in the room. The final announcements came on over the loudspeaker and I already had them lined up in the hall ready to go! Finally, the end of a very long school year was over and the end to the ridiculousness of the last 10+ days! Most years I have some bittersweet endings... I'm glad the year is over but there are some kids I will really miss. This year, not so much. I'm good with sending them all home for the summer. ;o) My last work day is June 19th so I still have a few days to go, but those days will be spent packing up and moving my classroom to another school. Yep, I am transferring to a school "across town," plus changing grades!! I will be teaching third grade. I have also made the choice to teach summer school. I know! What am I thinking??!! I've asked myself the same question. I don't think it will be too bad. I will have 16 teaching days Mon-Thurs. It starts July 9th and is over August 2. I can do this. I need the money b/c I will be doing a bit of traveling in the next few weeks so teaching summer school is my way of covering those expenses. We will see how it goes. I live for summer break so this will be different. I'm home alone all summer so I thought, "Why not? I'll try it."
I have several things I'm looking forward to this summer:
1. My grandson's birthday is June 20th. I'm driving to Fville Tuesday after work and I'm going to spend a couple of days loving on those kids and my own girl and celebrating Cannon's 5th b'day.
2. My friend, Katie, is coming to spend a couple of days with me at the end of next week.
3. I'm attending a wedding in Pinehurst that will be so much fun.
4. I'm flying to TX to visit my oldest son. First time to visit and my first time to visit TX.
5. I'm then flying to WA (never been there) to visit my youngest son who is working in Olympic National Park AND my other son is meeting me there and all three of us will be together for a week!!
6. Our family vacation is in early August and I love that time with my children and grandchildren.
7. Just being home and doing whatever I want to do. Nothing or something. I love either.
I sure do love these 8 weeks of summer!! Stress level is reduced to 0 or thereabouts. Easy mornings, porch sits, reading books, writing on this blog, talking to friends, going hither and yon, pondering life and what I'm going to do with mine... it's all good stuff.
Here's to summer, sipping cold drinks, being with people you love and adore, doing fun things, and that North Carolina heat!!
D~
So we teachers try to come up with things to do for all of these days... the last week especially... things like:
Game Day
Water Day
Class Picnic
Field Day
Pizza Day
Arts and Crafts Day
Get the cart of iPads and let them play for a couple of hours a day (or 3)
Movie and Popcorn Day
Sidewalk Chalk Day and throw in some popsicles on any of these days!
You get the idea. We are pretty much glorified babysitters running a daycare at this point. Of course, my entire class will be at school for these last few days b/c the parents are going to send them up until the very last minute b/c soon they will be "on duty." In between all of this fun, we have a mountain of paperwork to do and submit, report cards to do and turn in for approval, classrooms to clean and pack up for the summer. We have been stuck with no "Specials" 3 out of the 5 days the last two weeks (this means no planning time for us), and we have had to eat in our classrooms the last two weeks. We are teetering very close to that Edge, People. Every teacher in my school is looking worn out and in need of some re-charging ASAP. I can see it on their faces, their body language. I can see it when I look in the mirror! This time of year is rough. We try to hang on. We talk to ourselves all day long... "I can do this." "Only 3 more hours." "Only 1 more hour." We line up in the hall ready for dismissal before the announcements come on because we are READY.
Well, that last glorious day finally arrived... June 11th, a MONDAY of all days! I had 11 out of 17 kids show up. I had them finish up some math work in the morning. They watched videos. They went to "Specials" for an hour and that was a fabulous one hour for all of us teachers. They played outside for a very long time; I gave them popsicles, cupcakes, juice boxes, chips... anything I had leftover in the room. The final announcements came on over the loudspeaker and I already had them lined up in the hall ready to go! Finally, the end of a very long school year was over and the end to the ridiculousness of the last 10+ days! Most years I have some bittersweet endings... I'm glad the year is over but there are some kids I will really miss. This year, not so much. I'm good with sending them all home for the summer. ;o) My last work day is June 19th so I still have a few days to go, but those days will be spent packing up and moving my classroom to another school. Yep, I am transferring to a school "across town," plus changing grades!! I will be teaching third grade. I have also made the choice to teach summer school. I know! What am I thinking??!! I've asked myself the same question. I don't think it will be too bad. I will have 16 teaching days Mon-Thurs. It starts July 9th and is over August 2. I can do this. I need the money b/c I will be doing a bit of traveling in the next few weeks so teaching summer school is my way of covering those expenses. We will see how it goes. I live for summer break so this will be different. I'm home alone all summer so I thought, "Why not? I'll try it."
I have several things I'm looking forward to this summer:
1. My grandson's birthday is June 20th. I'm driving to Fville Tuesday after work and I'm going to spend a couple of days loving on those kids and my own girl and celebrating Cannon's 5th b'day.
2. My friend, Katie, is coming to spend a couple of days with me at the end of next week.
3. I'm attending a wedding in Pinehurst that will be so much fun.
4. I'm flying to TX to visit my oldest son. First time to visit and my first time to visit TX.
5. I'm then flying to WA (never been there) to visit my youngest son who is working in Olympic National Park AND my other son is meeting me there and all three of us will be together for a week!!
6. Our family vacation is in early August and I love that time with my children and grandchildren.
7. Just being home and doing whatever I want to do. Nothing or something. I love either.
I sure do love these 8 weeks of summer!! Stress level is reduced to 0 or thereabouts. Easy mornings, porch sits, reading books, writing on this blog, talking to friends, going hither and yon, pondering life and what I'm going to do with mine... it's all good stuff.
Here's to summer, sipping cold drinks, being with people you love and adore, doing fun things, and that North Carolina heat!!
D~
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