on "it must be nice."

No teacher has experienced summers-off bliss without that nagging feeling that we should be more productive. Type-A personality or not, we spend one hundred eighty days maximizing our mind, body and soul with the great responsibility of educating America’s youth.  My little brother often relishes in reminding me of the thirteen weeks paid vacation we teachers enjoy.

Must be nice, Kel.  Yeah, tough life.  

Or…

Yeah, sorry I couldn’t talk.  I was at work.  Some people have to work all year, ya know.  

Thick as thieves, my brother and I banter and rip on each other without repercussions.  Unlike other relationships, I can call him out on this nonsense.  For others though, I wish they just knew.   

Dear non-educators,  

Guess what? Teachers and administrators alike, deserve summers off.  Yes, we knowingly chose this taxing yet rewarding, profession and despite the demands, absolutely love what we do.

Energy, however, is a precious commodity, and, for 80% of our waking hours, for 80% of the year, we transfer 80% of our mental and physical energy to our students.  

If we don’t pour it all into our kids, the consequences are dire.  Like doctors, our daily actions directly impact the lives of human beings.  We may not be talking life or death in the classroom, but, as Nelson Mandela eloquently put,  “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  

Education is everything.  

Consider our summers off to be a mandatory teacher retreat.  Educators must rejuvenate for an extended period, so that we may be our best selves for the next cycle.  Gaining perspective and pressing the reset button should be required for fields that whole-heartedly and unconditionally serve others.  

You wouldn’t want a burnt out doctor performing your lasik eye surgery, would you?

So non-educators, I kindly request that you stop telling teachers, it must be nice. It kills our summer vibe and our glorious three-hour brunch marathons.  We promise to continue to give it our all, if you just let us chill for a hot minute.     

Sincerely,

Your daughter’s, or nephew’s or (someone you love’s) teacher.  

Teachers, let’s redefine the word productive.  Productive doesn’t have to mean deep scrubbing your oven racks.  Restorative practices such as reading a book, going for a hike, cooking a meal from scratch or cultivating your urban garden is plenty productive.

Taking advantage of feeding the soul this summer could really pay off come fall. For me, just spending more time with my husband and daughter is productive enough.  

The next time someone says..oh, it must be nice... just smile and say, yes it is!  You should try it.  I’ll sign you up as a guest teacher for my students this fall!

Keep on summerin’ teachers! Power to the teacher.