Hello Teacher Work Week

Teacher Work Week is the week before school begins. It is a leisurely time of labeling, organizing and decorating your happy little classroom. You have limitless funding for supplies and your unchanging class list is full of compliant, sweet little ones.

I think I actually dreamed this once.

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In reality TWW (not to be confused with the Two Week Wait lol) is filled with multiple, time consuming meetings, continuous revisions to lists and expectations/responsibilities and prep work as you can squeeze it in. It's challlenging. Most teachers have begun preparing for the school year long before the work week begins. For those who make snide remarks about teachers and their summers off...1. You could have chosen to go to college for a teaching degree and 2. We're never really off. We're constantly trying to find ways to better our students and to make our classrooms more learning friendly. This is no easy task. Just check out our Pinterest boards haha.

I learned to have an appreciation for all that goes into preparing for the school year a few years ago when I became a teacher. Prior to that I had worked as a CPS social worker and a behavior specialist. Teaching is a completely new and different set of challenges.

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I am currently home on maternity leave as this new school year begins. However, I have put together engaging lesson plans, completed some prep work and will continue to check in on my class until my return. It will definitely be odd not starting out with everyone else though.

All of this leads up to my primary point. I love what I do. I love it despite others' negativity. I love it despite chaos and constant changes. I love what I do because it is my calling and I have the amazing and humbling privilege of helping shape the future. I don't take what I do lightly and I look forward to seeing the progress of my students.

So as things begin to pick up pace, I want to wish good luck this week to my fellow educators! May this school year be better than the last!