Teachers have it made.

bench and buddha
Originally uploaded by *Susie*

For too many years to count, I have listened to people tell me how "teachers have it made . . . summers off and all." I love being a teacher, but summer is definitely not the reason. All of my past summers as a teacher have been spent attending workshops, planning, shopping decor for the theme of the year (I don't want to look at another fish or frog cutout) and setting up my classroom. Summers seemed the time to play catch-up and vow to "do even better this year." I have enjoyed all of the summer preparations, but for some reason I have always disliked hearing people tell me how lucky I am to have so much time off.

This summer has been different. The day before school was out Mom had a heart attack. Major heart attack. I breezed by school briefly the next day to find that my coworkers had graciously pitched in and packed all my stuff up for me. The day after that I cancelled all of my staff development workshops for the summer except for the last two. For this summer at least, there were more important things. Later on, when Mom was hospitalized again after having chest pains, I cancelled the last two.

It is now only a week and a half until teachers report to school for the new year. I have learned something very valuable this summer. I have figured out how to have a vacation. How to relax. How to make a to do list and not do it. I have learned how to skip the guilt that usually comes from not being "productive." I have spent time with my family and friends, being more present with them than I have ever been before. I have bored my dogs with my all day presence . . . they haven't gotten enough rest, they say. I have rested.

When my students show up at the end of this month, I think I will be a better teacher. This will be an even better year than the last. But this time it will not be due to new knowledge and ideas about teaching. Instead it will be because, even if just a little bit, I have learned to relax and breathe. I have come to realize that new ideas are not everything. I have gained confidence in myself, knowing that I already have enough. I will have enough time to learn new things. Just not now.

Now I can say, "I agree. Teachers have it made."