My Five Minute Life #7 Teachers and the Psychological Warfare of Winter Break: How To Make It Through Monday!
I'll admit. I am that teacher that truly spends each and every break from school fantasizing about how I will find a way to retire before classes start back up. I know. It is crazy. After all, I love my job. I love my students. I really wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
It's just ...
The waking up. The moving. You know, the showering and stuff. Eeek.
Facing all that after two weeks of sleeping in and staying up late, of having coffee in my house slippers while the sun is actually up, of snuggling with my cat and eating big breakfasts with my daughters, yea ...
facing that morning wake up routine is rough.
Rough and tough. It seriously is psychological warfare.
And, it is not just the teachers. I see it in my students' eyes the first day back. They are so excited to be back and with their friends, but they are beat tired. I can always tell that morning hit them hard, too. I teach teenagers.
No one hits 7 am harder than a teenager, trust me.
I play Frank Sinatra at the start of class. That warms them up a bit.
I'll probably do a review on Kahoot as well. Since my students are issued Chromebooks for their work, the Kahoot platform makes for a fun way to learn concepts. It will certainly help wake them up on an early Monday morning.
This quarter, my students will learn to write argumentative/persuasive essays. I also will also offer them some creative nonfiction prompts. I will write up lesson plans for these in the future. They make excellent portfolio ideas for home school parents.
All and all, we will make it to and through tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to seeing my students and colleagues again. I am excited for what 2018 will bring! I also look forward to showing you Five Minute Peeks into my Day in A Life as a teacher.
Teaching adolescents always makes for amusing anecdotes!
Are you headed back to school or work tomorrow? What do you do to get through early morning wakeup calls?
Here is a wonderful prayer to start your day:
Blessings, Gator
Follow @gatorlynne for more My Five Minute Life.
Ps. Here is a great Back to School video to review class rules with students! Parents can use it to remind their children, too. Enjoy!!
my favourite cartoon? Man complaining to his wife he doesn't want to go to school. She replies, "But you're the principal."
Those winter days when I'd get up in darkness and come home in darkness - Yeah...and I used to fantasize about retirement too, but I miss it - I miss my colleagues and laughing with my students. Writing is an isolating activity - no two ways about it - But it's closest to what I am
Aw, yes, I fear I will feel the same. I am hoping maybe I can capture some of these memories while I am still making them. If only we wrote of the many stories we could tell over the years in the schools. Blessings on that retirement and writing. Your poetry certainly shows the depth of your experience!
thanks, Lynne - appreciate that
Usually school time is always good and interesting