5 Things I love about my Job

1. Summer Vacation. Where else, but in education, can you work 10 months, and then have 10 glorious weeks off? There's been a bit of stuff surfacing in NEA (National Educators Association) about all year schooling... and some women wrote in response to another women who said she needed the summer off to regroup and fend off burn out, that burn out was BS and and teachers don't *need* the summer off and blah blah blah. Well you know what I say to her, BullShit! She obviously doesn't work in an elementary school. Working with children is exhausting work, and I don't know one person who will tell you otherwise. By late June I'm lucky if I know my whole name and where I live anymore. Summer Vacation keeps me sane.

2. Labor Day. How sweet it is. We are back to work *officially* for 5 days, and then we get a 3 day weekend. How can you argue with this logic. And it's labor day, which means burgers, beers and beaches. It's the American way. Besides, after having the whole summer to enjoy beers and beaches, we need a long weekend right away. Our delicate psyches can't just "jump back in" like that. See below.

3. Short weeks. The kids start up on Wed. before Labor Day every year. We have a 3 day week, a 4 day week, and then finally on the third week, a whole 5 day week. It's all about ebbing in baby... break em in reaaaaaaaaaaaaal slow. A parent said to me today, as I stood outside watching kids cross the driveway to head on home," Wow, it's the third week before they have a full week huh?" And I felt like saying, "Yup, we need those two weeks to get over the shock of having your child here with us everyday." Of course I didn't mean it and would never say it..but yanno, it's your kid. Don't moan about having to spend a long weekend with them. I know they drove you crazy all summer long..but soon they will be all grown up and gone. Enjoy them while you can.

4. My co-workers. I tell you, after a summer of "stop touching me" and "mom, he's looking at me funny"... it's nice to have some adult conversation again. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy talking to the boy in copious amounts, but sometimes you just need to have some girl talk. There's certain things that men just don't get. That's what girlfriends are for.

5. The students. A little girl that I had last year saw me in the hallway yesterday, rushed down the stairs, threw her arms around me and said, "Mrs. Scrappychick! I miss you so much." It's all about the love... and you can't find more love than in children.