Back to School Blues (not for me, maybe for you)
If you are reading this post you fall into one of the falling categories:
- Parent of school age children
- Student
- Teacher
- None of the above
If you identify with parent of school age children, then I commiserate with you for the back-to-school shopping marathon. Well, yes, it is exciting getting the kiddos ready for another (or their first) foray into the classroom routine. But it is tiring and expensive.
If you are a student, you are either bummed or excited, or perhaps a bit of both, since it means put a pause on summer fun in order to focus on the mojo needed to get into the school routine.
As a teacher, you are no doubt either already back in the classroom (depending on where you teach) or bum-weary from having to sit through endless admin-led meetings while you would rather be preparing your room.
None of the above? You are probably then retired or an empty-nester or perhaps neither a parent or teacher, although you vaguely remember your September back-to-school days.
This marks my fourth September I will not be returning as a teacher, yet I found myself back on campus anyway. My retirement days are centered around books: I’m either reading them, writing them, or doing something with them that is library related. Today I dropped off a box of donated of books to a couple of schools, one of which was where I formerly taught English.
Yes, it was strange.
No, I didn’t miss it.
Yes, I briefly said “howdy” to some former compadres. And yes, I delivered my usual line of “I highly recommend it!” when asked how I like being retired.
Okay, fine–I do miss some aspects of being a teacher, such as getting to know my students, watching them catch the spark of appreciating literature, lunch time sessions with teacher chums, and staff meetings (just kidding on that one).
So, here is hoping your back-to-school blues aren’t severe, and hoping the school year is fabulous, whether you are in a school desk, behind the teacher’s desk, or planning a cruise since everyone else is back in school.
Pam Webb 
I spent way more time shopping for my classroom and my students than I ever did on myself. My wife and I used to go clothes shopping once a year before school. She knew how much I disliked it and understood there was something like a one hour time limit before I was ready to be done. Somehow, with her help, we pulled it off.
And now we live in sweatpants!
Jeans and T-shirts for me.
Teachers were back last week, sitting through way too many admin meetings and desperately wanting to spend more time in their classrooms. Children and parents came to orientation, which was wonderful, but come Tuesday will I remember any names??
Name remembering is not my superpower and I admire those who have it as it means so much to students!
My teaching partner has that superpower. I’ll get there in a few weeks…
Some things never change, Jennie. You could look around the room during those preservice meetings and see that most people were thinking the same thing about all of the things they could be doing instead of sitting on our duffs. It made we wonder as I tried to control my restlessness, Is this what the kids feel like? They need to be doing instead of listening.
Ah! That’s exactly how kids feel. Doing instead of listening. You nailed it, Pete.