Summer Vacation... or is it?

So, I just got back from a 5-day trip to St. Augustine. It was great, right during Father's Day and all. It's summer vacation. We're supposed to be having fun, not thinking about school and all that nonsense, right? Or is that right?

Try as we might, we can never really escape from school, can we? We're always wondering what we can do differently next year to escape from the pitfalls and trials of the previous year(s). Then school starts, we fall back into the rhythm, but we don't have the time and energy to actually try much new. Oh, we try for a few days, but then those standards, the tests, and deadlines creep up and we return to the comfortable and familiar. After winter break, we vow (another failed new years' resolution?) to try harder. Kids get us tired out and we stare down that long, but not long enough, march toward state testing. Finally, when we get a chance at the end of the year to squeeze in some of our favorite activities, we're too tired to really give it our all.

I know some of us are high-powered, tireless individuals, but this story sounds a lot like a few years of my own experience, not to mention that of some coworkers. It's a tiring, often thankless, low-paying job. It's hard, perhaps one of the hardest jobs out there. Don't get me wrong about that! The thing is, preparation can make a difference. Going into the year with things planned, lessons printed, etc... makes a huge difference. Walking out the door on friday with monday ready to go, instead of arriving monday and scrambling makes a HUGE difference. What else makes a difference? Tools to help make things easier. 

Try some of my free grade level vocab cards and assessment templates, and see if they make a difference, if they're that tipping point on the scale that moves things back in your favor! God Bless and happy teaching!

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