Most of us have seen the humorous quips about teachers’ energy levels by the end of the school year or the video posts on Facebook, but what happens when summer actually begins? To be honest, there is a fair amount of decompressing and enjoying the sun, but for most teachers this is balanced with the immediate planning of the school year to come.
During the summer months at SRS, the majority of the faculty continues on as tutors, camp counselors, and lifeguards. I might even challenge that the school year never really ends rather it just shifts gears to summer session. What do I mean by this? Well, let’s see if I can do it justice!
June begins with the discussion of schedules, class divisions, and who will teach which classes the following school year. This is generally followed by the reworking of all decisions and beginning the process again only to go back to our original thoughts. The ground work is done! From this point, I take the wheel and lock myself into room 101. Similar to an author with writer’s block, I surround myself with crumpled drafts of the middle school schedule, trying to make that final class fit like the sentence that captures the essence of a novel. Alas, if only creating the schedule was that romantic or exciting. Now that the big picture thinking is complete; there is one month remaining to account for all the details needed to have a successful year ahead.
July brings fireworks, celebrating our independence, and the cleaning out of closets! Don’t get me wrong, as a teacher I enjoy a newly stocked supply room. This is also the month I become close to our textbook reps and harass colleagues with emails about creating “welcome back” letters. Finally, I turn my attention to the school calendar. You know the one with all the adorable graphics that you post on the fridge or plug into your mobile calendar alerting you about music recitals, ski days, and PTG events. Whew! A month and a half in and we’re ready to present the much-anticipated back to school packets.
But wait…there is an entire month left of summer! This is when the teachers really get into gear. Lessons are planned, bulletin boards are finely crafted, and the agenda for the faculty retreat unfolds. Excitement is building and you can feel the energy radiate across campus. The countdown has officially begun towards the first day of classes. And just like that…the new school year has begun! See you in a few weeks!
Becky Carter, Teacher
