Monday and Tuesday I held my final zoom meetings in each class. Wednesday I waved goodbye to each 8th grader as they drove through our Promotion Celebration. Thursday I refilled the Soak n’ Wet bucket over and over as the kids drenched their teachers during field day. Thursday afternoon (all afternoon – from 1pm to 9pm!) I drank and commiserated and celebrated with my colleagues, as we looked back on an absolutely insane year. Friday I posted my grades, submitted paper work, and sent some emails.
This morning I deleted all my weekly tasks from the Reminder app on my computer and switched off all the alarms that reminded me of my scheduled zoom meetings. I took the final set of grade and attendance sheets off my clipboard and stored them away with the dozens of other sheets from this year. Then I tried to recycle them but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m sure by next week I’ll be able to toss them away.
Summer has officially started. It always takes a while to really unwind and get into the head space of summer, but I think that will especially be the case this year. In the past just being home helped my brain recognize the school year was over, this year I don’t have even that (because I’ve been home for 15 months)!
But next week I’ll be back in my classroom, this time packing. Last Thursday my principal told me that I have to move rooms, that I have to pack up a classroom I haven’t taught in for 15 months and unpack in somewhere new. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
I still have a lot of big feelings about it, but I’m trying to focus on the most positive possible outcome – that teaching from a different room (which will be a very different space), will help me reset when I return next year. I don’t want to teach in all the same ways I used to – I’ve learned too much! – and I hope being in a whole new environment will help me to really do that.
Today we’re heading to the water park for some fun in the sun. While I’m there I’ll surely be thinking about packing my classroom, but at least I don’t have to think about my next meeting on zoom, or the next topic I have to cover, or the next project I have to prepare, or the next assignment I have to score. For that I am endlessly grateful.
How will your summer look and feel different?
Fresh start is how I shall hold it. PIA to clear out of old room and need to set up in fall for new room….. BUT, fresh start.
Hoping your summer is way more relaxed than last summer and that you all stay safe and healthy. San Francisco hit 80% part and 70% of eligible people fully vaccinated and that is a giant achievement. Fingers crossed it keeps all the children much safer this summer and allows more of a return to familiar activities.
SO PROUD OF WHAT YOU ACHIEVED IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF. Clearly it was not possible; but you did it!
Congrats on surviving/finishing the school year!
This summer we are focused on having as much fun outside as we can; to that end, we bought season passes to a water park (that’s on a lake with a beach so in addition to water slides we also get lots of time playing in the sand and swimming in the lake) and it’s doing wonders for our mental health!