The ticking of the clock is getting louder; the hourglass has almost run out; the bell is about to ring; kids are about to groan and parents are about to rejoice. It’s time for school again.
Many parents mark the first day of school on their calendar as if it were a birthday or Christmas. Kids will have structure once more and the scramble is over to keep them occupied all day.
Many kids are excited about returning to school, if only for the social aspect.
Teachers like me are filled with a mix of renewed enthusiasm about a fresh start with a new group of students and trepidation that our summer break is over so soon.
I get a lot of grief from friends and relatives about my summer break, which is two months long. But I remind them that teachers are in a low-pay, high-stress job and we deserve the time off. Still, I understand the jealousy. I try to tell them that I have to be at work until 3 each day, but I quickly realize that doesn’t help things.
(Many of us grade papers well into the night, so much of what we do goes unseen.)
The effects of that summer break will be put to the test starting Monday as nearly 3,000 kids descend on San Benito High School for the first day of school.
I remember being a wide-eyed freshman stepping onto the Monterey Street campus in 1983. It was the first time in a few years that I wasn’t wearing my Sacred Heart uniform and it was the first time I had a locker (first decoration: a Def Leppard poster).
The seniors looked like adults to me and my close circle of elementary school friends was suddenly absorbed into a sea of humanity on a huge campus.
Back then, the school was about half the size it is today student-wise, so I can only imagine how daunting it must be for freshmen to set foot on campus now. Seniors show up with a sense of superiority as they finally are at the top of the food chain. Juniors now have two class levels below them, so their social status is improved-at least in theory – while sophomores are just thankful that they aren’t at the bottom rung anymore.
Teachers like the first week because it often is the cleanest our classrooms will be all year. The carpets were washed over the summer, we’ve had time to recycle the piles of papers left over from the previous year’s classes, and the walls are neatly decorated with posters, schedules, or inspirational quotes.
Students begin the year with no late homework assignments or detention, so they tend to be optimistic in August. This is a good time of year.
A couple weeks ago, my sons were not looking forward to going back to school. They could stay up late, sleep in, play Wiffle ball in the yard with their friends, and not worry about homework.
But when I asked them this week if they were excited about school starting, their attitudes had changed to “I guess so,” which coming from a seventh-grader and a sixth-grader was encouraging. This afternoon they’ll find out who is in their class and which teacher they have, so that should up the anticipation a bit.
Summer, for all intents and purposes, has ended for local kids and teachers. Everyone please take your seats and quiet down – especially you parents who are cheering in the back.
