This is the time of year when teachers reflect on their start of year goals. You have all seen the memes of teachers in August and teachers in May, and can completely agree with the feeling. In August we are refreshed, bright, shiny and full of new ideas, but by the end of the year you just start thinking, there is always next year.
At the end of 1st trimester I wrote 10 Confessions. Here are 10 more for the end of year teacher.
- I do not think my hair has seen a blow dryer or heat tool in the month May. As I sit here before school my hair is literally straight out of the shower, air dying. It is a rotation between wet braid, wet ponytail, or dry shampoo something. We can just pretend I am doing it for the health of my hair.
- This week my 2 year old had a full on morning meltdown not wanting to go to “school.” I almost joined him.
- When Spanish 3 & 4 suggested spending the end of the year watching and discussing El Internado, I was all for it. Sitting in the dark and not having a lot to prepare. Deal. (Final El Internado Exam Season 1 & Exam Seasons 1-2 & 1-3). This also applies to the exploratory class ending the year with El Libro de Vida.
- As a high school teacher, the idea of attending the ton of graduation parties every weekend in May is exhausting. If I can not attend them all, I often choose to attend none.
- The effort it takes to sit down and grade a stack of essays or exams requires: a tour around the school scavenging for food in the lounges, a trip to fill up your water bottle, an aimless walk to chat with your favorite teacher you share prep with, a trip to the bathroom since you drank the whole water bottle, a chat with you favorite office ladies, attempting to plan your entire next year’s curriculum, and the will power of super human strength to finally sit down with your pen. By the time you finally do, the bell rings 5 minutes later and your prep is over.
- My phrase of the week poster has literally not changed all year.
Semana 1 – nice job Sra. - Regular weekly procedures such as Para Empezar have lately only been showing up randomly by student request.
- This week I threw out two perfectly organized binders from my first year teaching, one sorted by grammar topic and the other by Avancemos textbook chapter. (Except you know I took the time to pull everything out of their perfect sheet protectors to reuse them, because #binderaddiction). Last year I posted about spring cleaning, but this time not just certain activities went, EVERYTHING did.
- This trimester I have a class with one student. Yesterday she was finished with her final project, since like a great student she worked on it at home. I gave her a few options, and she decided to help me organize, clean and pack up my storage cabinets.
- Even though I have been secretly counting down the days of school left, I am sad that I will not even return to school until November, since I will be on maternity leave with baby #2 the first day of school and will be on maternity leave. I know that one week into the summer I will be consumed with planning for next year. I will get giddy with the thought of back-to-school shopping, and spend countless hours this summer working to make next year the best year yet, because #weareteachers.
What are your end of year confessions?
Join the party, here are more confessions:
from Megan Sulewski
from Talia Block
from Maris Hawkins
