Friday, May 26, 2006
Today was the last day of regular instruction for the year and as you can see I finally snapped and went over the edge. My colleagues had been predicting I would snap earlier but I persevered until the end but today I decided to resist the temptation to keep it all together and just let it all hang out. Actually, today was a bitter sweet day. I was very happy to end the year. It's been very stressful teaching five different preps during the course of the year, psychology, sociology, economics, civics, and world history. I really need a break from it all. People who think teaching is easy just because we get alot of time off really don't have a clue what it is like to prepare interesting lessons, motivate the kids, discipline, process all the paper work, and go to god awful boring meetings too many times than I can remember. Most folks wouldn't last two weeks....anyway......While I am glad to have finished year number 19 I was also a bit sad regarding the kids. I took the kids out outside and took some group photos and then we came in and I told them I felt priviledged to be their teacher. We ended the class by listening to Annie Lennox's Into the West which is the song at the end of the Return of the King. It was kind of a sad ending to the class but I told them they were just beginning a new journey and they had alot to look forward to as they were about to embark on a new adventure in life. I am excited for them but I also know life outside of high school will be challenging and many of them will not see their hopes and dreams materialize in the way they thought but that is the nature of the beast of life. Next week is finals but I will only work two days since my senior classes have already finished their finals. I am looking forward to the summer but this summer poses a series of challenges on the homefront and I suspect I will be juggling my schedule more than usual. This summer will be interesting and promises to be a challenge. Just hope I am up to it all.....and....hope the weather gods have mercy on us folks from Bakersfield this summer. ....Heading off to visit my friend tomorrow in Paso Robles and intend to spend the next three days at the beach with my girlfriend and two sons. Should be fun and then I'll come back and finish the year next week......
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2 comments:
I am under no illusions about how demanding teaching is. You all deserve your summers off. Other jobs allow you to surf the Internet during office hours, to pee whenever you want, to make a phone call home for a chat or to even extend a lunch when needed to close a deal.
Teachers are chained to a room with kids who need huge doses of suppot, inspiration and affection, as well as discipline and conversation. I remember when Jon used to teach high school, he'd come home so drained, he'd take a nap at 5:00 pm. I have never seen him so physically exhausted!
And then to face all that inane grading and to do it in a timely way hoping it results in real growth in the material... well, hats off to you!
Have a much deserved pleasurable rest in Paso Robles.
Julie
Hi Julie,
Thanks for the empathy. I'm not at the point where I feel "chained to my room" but I have about had it with all the educational reforms over the past five years. It's driving us all crazy and we don't ever get a chance to catch our breathe before the next round of changes...and...the emphasis on testing has just about driven me over the edge. I didn't get into this profession to teach to a test but that is the direction it's all headed and from my vantage point no one in the general public seems to either care or understand what is really going on in education. If it ever gets to the point where they start scripting our lessons I think I will retire....sorry for the ranting and raving....Bill
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