Oh blessed summertime! Finally, the last day of school arrived.... when the final bell rang you could feel a surge of energy through the building and the gleeful (mostly) squeals of students being released from the daily schedule of school. I have a feeling there were some squeals of glee from the teachers as well. Children don't realize that the grown-ups are as ready for the break as the kids.
People who don't work in schools don't understand what it takes to make it through a school year -- the intensity of the work; the sheer exhaustion from dealing in such a people-intense environment; the pressure educators feel to make progress for every child; and the patience required day in and day out to help students learn. People outside of education don't understand what it takes to close down a classroom and a school for the summer... It's kind of like packing up your house for a move. Other professionals work hard - but few work in an environment that requires so many life altering decisions for another person. Very few come under the intense public scrutiny and judgment that schools are subjected to.
This year we did some great work and some great things for our students this year. Our teachers made great professional growth and developed increased capacity for working with challenging situations and students with many challenges. More kids achieved the benchmarks in reading; more students were socially successful (they behaved well); and we did more to reach out to our families.
Now, if I can get through the coming days I may have some time to relax and recover!
