The Void During Spring Break
It’s been a true vacation, this last week away. I woke up last Monday in a cold sweat at 4:15 in the morning. I was awash in the void that is *not teaching* and I couldn’t help but feel isolated. So much of my energy has been focused towards teaching and learning to teach that without school to head towards each morning I am facing a hole in my life.
Where had my hobbies gone? Wasn’t I somebody before I started teaching? Why can’t I relax and just enjoy a week off without feeling restless and prickly?
Is it normal for first year teachers to feel useless when outside the classroom for an extended period of time?
I guess all that matters is that I’m back at school now, embracing the barrage of students because I really missed them.
Where had my hobbies gone? Wasn’t I somebody before I started teaching? Why can’t I relax and just enjoy a week off without feeling restless and prickly?
Is it normal for first year teachers to feel useless when outside the classroom for an extended period of time?
I guess all that matters is that I’m back at school now, embracing the barrage of students because I really missed them.
posted by Ms. C at 1:27 PM
2 Comments:
I spent vastly more time preparing as a first year teacher. As I found things that worked for me, I tended to remember and re-use them. I've got a bunch of ideas in my head and a bunch of tests on my computer, and I write lessons much, much faster. Also I can now steal from my own test bank, and mix and match.
It takes a while to find your voice, just like a writer, I think. When you do, things move faster. You think of what some kid did two years ago, see the similarity, and decide either to do it again or not. You remember what worked and you repeat it.
With something really good, you can surprise a whole new group of kids in a few short months. Right now you're gasping for breath, but if you can stick it out, things ought to ease up. It will take time.
I don't believe those people who say teachers don't get better after two years. If you're a thinking person, you always learn, and you always get better.
I loved each an every vacation because by the time they rolled around, I needed the extra sleep and fun activities.
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