It’s almost Springtime. Teachers have to ‘make it’ another month before our week long Spring Break. Well, maybe just the real ones who are ok with admitting to needing, enjoying, and looking forward to time away from the schools/classrooms in which we work. I know I’m looking forward to it because sometimes, a weekend just isn’t long enough to recharge.
Yes; I need time to recharge after spending many hours a week with other people’s children. I need time to recuperate from my day job before I can meet the needs of my own children. I need a weekend where I don’t spend hours working on lesson plans or searching Teachers Pay Teachers for engaging instructional materials created for my students’ current academic (reading) levels.
An extended break is the only time I can get all of the above things on my Teacher Wishlist.
But extended breaks during this time of year provide an opportunity to consider something teachers don’t often discuss openly: Do I want to do this next year? I have been asking myself this question a lot lately. So much about ‘teaching’ changed while I was away. Scratch that: Too much has changed; and not for the betterment of the profession. As I mentioned in other posts, I worked hard to get back into the classroom. Too many times I’ve said to myself “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Sure, change is both good and inevitable (so they say); however, our profession has undergone changes that do not directly benefit students. These changes require significantly more work from teachers, but not more time with which to do the work.
How did we, as a profession, get here? Now that I’ve been back for 2 years, do I stay and tough it out; or do I start working on a professional exit strategy?