RECESS-TIME 😄✍️

 

The 'Summer Holiday Break' is the only one month in the entire year, when teachers can actually 'breathe in peace'. The only time in the whole year, when there are no back-breaking deadlines and corrections, no endless late nights working, no countless lesson-planning, and no alarms to wake you up, at unearthly hours. The vocal chords, neck, back and feet of every teacher, get a much-needed break. The ears actually hear the 'sound of silence'.😊

Since I haven't been in school, for a couple of years now; this is also the month, when I get a chance to catch up, with a few of my close 'Teacher Friends', who were my colleagues, for two long decades. 

Even though, we do try to meet a few times, during the academic year; their hectic work schedules, make those meetings extremely rare...and if they do happen, they're kind of 'rushed'; and most of the time, the conversations on those days, only revolve around 'everything happening in school', because that's how a Teacher's Life is - 'School, literally becomes our Life'.🤷🏻‍♀️

When teachers catch up during the month of May though, the mind is completely relaxed and at ease. Yes, 'School' still does come up in the conversations (because that's just how it always is, with Teachers everywhere); but when we meet during this one month, we actually 'get a chance to unwind and talk about, so many other little everyday things, happening in all our lives', as well. 

As teachers have 'the luxury of free time', during the month of May, (which is unheard of, during the rest of the year), these 'crazy multi-taskers', can really 'chill', and do 'absolutely nothing', without feeling guilty or wondering about, how many hundred more jobs are still incomplete, and still have to be done.😊

Over the 18 years, that I worked as a 'Secondary School Teacher', there were numerous occasions, when people would say to me, 'How lucky you Teachers are! You get a whole month off every year, and to add to that, it's Paid Leave.'🤦‍♀️

When I was a fairly new teacher, I used to actually defend everyone in the Teaching Profession, and try to explain, that it was an extremely well-deserved, and very justified, much-needed 'Break'.

With experience though, I learned to just ignore, that 'obviously ignorant and misinformed statement'. I would only reply with a rather 'sarcastic, knowing Smile'...And, if I did respond; my answer would be, 'You have to actually live in the same house as a Teacher, to understand how 'Lucky', they really are'.🙄

That was something, I once said to a 'Journalist Friend', whose wife also happens to be a Teacher. As a Journalist and News Editor in several of the best Media channels and websites, over the years; there is no doubt, that his work is quite demanding, and an extremely high-pressure job too...But he still felt, that the job of a Teacher, came with its own set of issues and problems, which those on the outside, would hardly ever see or realise.

He also did share, that he had stopped saying a lot of things, that others tend to grudge those in the teaching profession for, (probably things like this 'one month May vacation', and for all the other 'public holidays' they got, all year round), a long time ago. He added, that he realised a lot of things, about the actual situation of a Teacher, after being married to one, for so many years.😄

I do miss a lot of things about being in school, especially how I got so many opportunities, to use my 'Creativity' and my many 'God-given Talents', in multiple ways every single day.

But, after two years of being away from it all; my 'Stress-levels' have decreased tremendously, a number of my 'chronic health issues' have improved, my voice (which used to be hoarse all year round) can now actually be heard, I don't have to yell and scream my lungs out, (almost at the risk of getting a heart-attack) all day long, I can eat proper meals and on time, I can sleep peacefully for longer hours, I don't have to set an alarm every morning and rush through my entire life, day in and day out. I am also thankfully far, far away from over-involved parents, arrogant millennials with rather disruptive habits, and peacefully at a distance, from all the regular unwanted craziness, that happens in any organisation.🤪

But I do think of the kids often; and more than that, I miss my close Friends, who were really my 'Family', for two long decades.

That's why, I'm glad I got a few opportunities, to spend two or three 'almost entire days', with a couple of them, over the last two weeks. I guess, my mind has been at ease, for quite a while now; but there's nothing more calming and relaxing, than spending time 'catching up with old friends'. It's just 'Extra-Special'.🤗❤️

...and to still be able to spend these moments together, during this 'Free Month', definitely makes me feel really 'Lucky', to have been a Teacher.✨️✍️