Living With the Heartbreaks of a Teacher

I'm just back from Spring Break a couple of weeks, and am realizing daily that my students have finished their school year already.  Yes they are coming to class (most of the time), but only to ask if they can get out to do something for another teacher (so they say), or many other sorted and various reasons.  The truth is, they are only here for the social ending of another year gone by.  I know this, just as all teachers know it, and all of us who have ever been students know it.  When the kids are done with school, it is like pulling teeth to get any kind of quality work out of them at all.

I used to put my musical at the end of the school year, which gave several kids a more majestic goal at this time of craziness, but fitting that in with the rest of the end of year activities, of which there are many, is cause for insanity in the most well put-together and organized.  Think what it does to someone like me.

I have tried to save a huge and creative project for the end, but that only leads to dissapointment, because they just don't put forth the effort, and "dang it, that was a really great assignment! Why don't they just try a little?"

I've watched as the most studious of my butterflies put forth the effort of someone half as talented, and smile brightly as if they accomplished feats as important as brain surgery.

The fact is, they are done, and we as teachers, are just not!  We can't be!  We are to teach to the last bell on the last day! "How can this be fixed?" I ask you.  I mean, I've thought for years that I had the answer, and each time I come up with something spectacular and new for the classes to do, thinking I've finally done it - I've created the perfect assignment that any student would just love to do, I am always, 100%, without fail, heartbroken by the feeble attempts of the majority.  Oh, of course, there are always those students who just "do" school, who do everything right, and are over-the-top, but I'm talking about those good solid, "in-the-middle" kids who usually do what they are supposed to do.  No, those kids, who I can depend on to be there, or sweep and mop, or work the snow-cone stand, or just do the assignments they are asked - those kids, have gone nutso crazy.  Worse yet are the ones who never do what they're asked, and spend more time thinking up excuses than they would have if they'd have just done the work in the first place.  This time of year with them is, well, exciting, to say the least.

It is an age-old question that has plagued many an educator along the way, I'm sure.  At this point of the year, I'm just happy they haven't burned down the school, and hopefully we can make it 5 more weeks without that.  At the same time, I'm perplexed by the fact that any kid would spend so much time trying to get out of doing my awesome and cool assignments... I mean - really?!?

Maybe that's it.  No assignment, really, is awesome or cool.  Even when I think about the fact that I have to do my lesson plans, I can come up with fifty different reasons why I can wait, and when there is laundry to be done, well, I just have way too many more important things happening.  And, oh yeah, grading all those awesome and cool assignments... well that's another issue altogether.

It is truthfully very easy to see why at this time the kids just aren't engaged in their education, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, those incredible tiny purple flowers that pop out with the ground-cover weeds have arrived, there are track meets, golf-tournaments, cheer competitions, assemblies, softball and baseball tournaments, student council conventions, book fairs, midevil fairs, field trips, fun Fridays, snow cones to buy and sell, proms, dances, etc.  And that is all in the next two weeks.  Whatever will we do with the last three?

Ahhhhhh.  Perhaps the most comical part of all of it is the fact that a theatrical make-up wearing rocker from the seventies with a lady's first name said it best for all of us - School's Out For Summer - Thank you Alice Cooper, for such a poetic and musical tribute to that time of year that sadly, people in my business and our many many clients look forward to the most.

Just kidding - I really love my job.  I only catch myself questioning my career choice once a week, and the truth is, I love the little butterflies with all my heart.  How could it be any better - I get to be mother to the most talented, creative, fantastic, ornery, crazy, out of sight kids ever!  Teaching - even with the heartbreaks now and then - is the best job in the world!

Now, off to think of the greatest assignment ever for next week, I just know all the kids are gonna love this...... : )
Sweet Brenda