It May Be the End of the School Year If…

Hey, all hard-working educators. It actually may be the end of the school year if…

1. Your energy level equals that of a sedated slug in the snow.

2. Date night with your significant other does not mean, “Let’s stop by the (insert extracurricular activity/school function here) for just a few hours.” Five hours later, you both wonder where the romance has gone.

3. Your body goes into shock after experiencing a deep, rejuvenating nine hours of sleep.

4. You feel like Rocky Balboa after defeating Apollo Creed. This past school year has been very successful, but you feel as if you recently completed fifteen, tactical rounds with the heavyweight champion of the world. Yet, you still have just enough energy remaining in the tank to belt out a battle cry to the ones who matter the most…”Yo, students. We did it.”

5. You ask yourself, “Did I ever truly understand what this student said?”

6. You dream of a lunch that does not demand an unhealthy inhalation of food over a fragmented and hurried conversation with colleagues.

7. You have loaded your vehicle, a la the Griswolds’ station wagon in National Lampoon’s Vacation, with any classroom object that does not move. ‘Cause everyone knows classroom furniture and supplies tend to “walk off” during the summer break.

8. You did well on this test that determines if you are a progressive educator.

9. You are already remixing your professional soundtrack.

10. You resemble a vampire stepping out at high noon on a hot June day. No doubt the lathering of Bull Frog 50 SPF should help smooth the transition from shining brightly through 10 months of students’ beaming ideas to basking in the radiance of the summer sun.

11. You are already excited about attending an educational conference this summer.

12. You are contemplating giving your classroom design an overhaul.

13. Your weekend plans do not begin with the question, “Now, how in the heck will I find time to grade all these assignments?”

14. If you feel a little squirrelly…but in a good way.

15. You ask yourself, “Did I facilitate a learning environment that measures up to this mother’s wishes and demands?”

16. You wonder if Google Drive and your current learning management system can harmonize your family and home as well these two digital tools organized your students’ submissions this past school year.

17. You are a first-year teacher, you constantly check your pulse to make sure you survived year one in the classroom. Congrats! You are still alive.

18. You are a veteran teacher, you have already asked yourself these crucial questions.

19. You are a newly retired teacher, your stress level just dropped like Vanilla Ice’s street cred after going Ninja Turtle with a rap. Makes you feel pretty clever, huh, Michelangelo?

20. It has been been made clear that you taught to a higher purpose and not just with multiple-choice tests in mind. In other words, you listened to your own heart and foundational data.

21. You actually enjoy a morning shower with a present mind and a rested body without feeling the urge to somehow jot notes on the shower walls out of fear that your professional to-do list may go unchecked.

22. You need an educator’s resuscitation class before even thinking about summer professional learning.

23. You are already planning summer lunch meetings with positive and forward-thinking colleagues to challenge your present professional practices as well as to propel you forward with innovative ideas for your classroom.

24. While reading a novel for personal enjoyment, you successfully squelch the need to scribble feedback notes in the book’s margins. Your discipline will surely help stave off the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome, which oftentimes stems from red-pen grading cramps.

25. You realize that teaching is the toughest and most rewarding job in the world, but you would easily start the new school year tomorrow.

Well, maybe in at least a week. After all…

“Take a rest. A field that has rested yields a beautiful crop.” -Ovid.

For more blogs by John Hardison, check out:

• A Teacher’s Soundtrack and the #EdSongs Challenge
• PearDeck: A Fruitful EdTech Tool
• 6 Steps Taken By An Indecisive Squirrel And A Creative Teacher