Well I just finished calculating my final grades and completing student comments. Apart from a few faculty meetings next week it looks like I am home free. The end of the year typically brings that exhilarating feeling probably not unlike the one we felt when we were students. The summer seems endless and one is given a break from having to think about lesson plans and other problems that teachers face in the course of the year.
One of my colleagues likes to think of the summer as a long weekend. June is like Friday. The weekend is ahead of you and for just a brief amount of time you can focus on something else. Stay up all night if you choose. Catch up with loved ones and other passions/interests. Monday seems like it will never arrive. The first half of July is like Saturday morning. You can sleep late and think about what the afternoon will look like. Go on the afternoon road trip and perhaps stay overnight somewhere out of town. The second half is like Saturday night. Your not quite sure whether you should stay up too too late as you know you will have to get up early the next day. August is more difficult to handle as it is just like Sunday. Should you get up later and watch the morning talk shows or get into your office and prepare lessons for the upcoming week? The second half of August is like Sunday afternoon and evening. "Oh shit…the new school year is upon me and there is nothing I can do about it."
Since it’s only Friday I want to take a moment to wish my fellow teachers a safe and enjoyable summer break. You deserve it!
Kevin,
That feeling you get on Sunday – or August, in your case – has a name which, as far as I know, was coined by my wife: the “Lassie feeling”. If you’re my age, you might remember that the Lassie TV show aired on Sunday evening. As soon as I saw that *&^$ dog raise its #@!* paw at the end of the show, I knew the weekend was over.