***
I know a teacher who found herself
in an awkward position a few summers ago.
It was late July and she was in the midst of a group of friends at
church making small talk when one asked her, “So how’s it going with you?”
“Well, things are fine but I am so bummed
that there are only two weeks of vacation left,” she replied sadly.
Instead of pity, cold stares and
dropped jaws greeted her comment. It
quickly dawned on this teacher that she was speaking to some folks who received
a mere two weeks of vacation time in total each year in their own jobs. She wanted to crawl under a rock.
Like
most of us teachers, I suspect, this particular woman had lost sight – at least
momentarily - of how very fortunate we are to have such a long break from work.
[If I had more space available for my column, I would have mentioned that this particular teacher is usually a very upbeat person who rarely complains - which is remarkable, considering she is married to my brother.]
Even non-teachers
often claim that educators are underpaid.
That may be so, but it wouldn’t hurt to pause and factor in the very
real benefits of our ample time off.
It is difficult to put a price tag on summer
break. My family and I just returned
from a three week trip. We flew to
Seattle for a nephew’s graduation and then rented a van for the journey
home. We drove through Montana, spent a
day in Yellowstone, saw the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, and
visited relatives I hadn’t seen in years.
It was the sort of trip that will linger in our memories for decades.
And
when I got back, did I have to jump out of bed the next morning and then rush
back into the rat race? No. I still had six or seven weeks before the
school year starts!
I’m not
trying to rub it in – I am simply saying that I am likely to take such a blessing
for granted, while those in the 9 to 5 world might have a better appreciation
of its true value.
Whenever
I am tempted to grumble about my profession, I remember that I have students in
class only 180 days a year. I don’t know
if this has ever occurred to you, but the math is pretty simple: On average, I work every other day.
Not only
that, but my days off include each and every major holiday – without
question. I have never been called into
work on Christmas Eve. And while many
workers must double down when the weather gets snowy, spending extra time at
work and in travel, I get a phone call telling me to sleep in.
I
really am not trying to make you jealous.
I guess my point is not just that I’ve got it pretty good – but that I
know it. And I am grateful. I just think the general public should hear
that from a teacher at least every once in a while.
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