Why are you so upset? You have summer's off!

I am trying to be as eloquent as possible while seeing the most crimson shade of red. If you want to tick me off, just start with the title of this article. Because the ability to have people see your point of view when they so decidedly have made up their mind is so mind-bogglingly difficult, I must refer my audience to a calmer author:

3 Big Ideas About Teacher Work Load

This man got an audible "AMEN!" from me as soon as I read this. I think the best part of the article is that it tries to get to the level of a large majority of Americans by comparing what happens in a classroom to what happens when you have children. While I know not all people are parents, it's a great place to start visualizing what's going on.

You see as Joe Bower states, just as parents get pulled in multiple directions having more than one child, so does a teacher. The problem then lies in the quantity and direction of pulling. I have, as it stands right now (as our district has a high level of transiency) 28 students in my class. Over half of them read below grade level. Children in my class have so many factors that affect their learning that are completely out of my control.

Living situations
Medical Conditions
Guardian/Parent confusion/issues
Money Issues
Bullying
Behavioral Issues
Learning disabilities
Learning ABILITIES

The list could go on and on and ON.

I CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I can teach. Or try to teach. I can try to see, actually LOOK at each student and REALLY SEE THEM. I can not solve hunger, gaps between the lower and upper class, welfare issues, medical issues. I can NOT make money appear for my district. I have what I have and I am working at an exponential degree per second.

There are days I almost literally have issues breathing during class. I feel isolated and inundated at the same time. I have a workload I can not accomplish. Not for lack of trying or lack of professional development. I have a lack of time to even THINK CLEARLY.

But isn't it wonderful how I have my summer's off?

What is this dissolution that summer's erase all problems? How is this even related to what I am talking about? But you get paid to deal with these things. AND YOU HAVE SUMMER'S OFF!

I can't even pee without asking. That's called prison conditions.

And I still continue to teach. I teach with the criticism, but I wonder, "shouldn't you be worried? Your teachers are telling you exactly what's wrong with the public education system and you're ignoring it. Or worse...RATIONALIZING it."

But please, do fire us all, as so many comments I read have suggested. We're obviously ungrateful for our jobs. Or is it that we're trying to protect the quality of education in America. Remember if the teachers are swinging around red flags frantically, perhaps you should be worried about who is going to take care of our nation in the future.

The Origin

I have a friend, who has on numerous occasions, become befuddled at the idea of not being able to shut down the thoughts in your brain. She has actually said to me that it is not that difficult. That she can sit and NOT THINK, no problem.

NO PROBLEM?!

Somehow I find this disconcerting. How can you just NOT think? I've tried, God, I've tried. In yoga, one tries to quiet the mind and body. I don't know how many times I've heard within practice to "recognize your thoughts, and then let them move on and away."

Let me tell you. The line is long. If I were to do the math, the recognition of every thought I have and the time it takes to do so, then let it float away....I'd be meditating forever. Needless to say, I'm working on it.

The times where those pesky thoughts (good, bad, mundane, inconsequential, epic) ease into the troughs are those spent indulging my wanderlust.

It's interesting how I came to recognize my little vice. I read the book "Eat, Pray, Love" with a book club a few years ago. In the book the author tries to find "her word." Our book club touched on the obvious internal question, "So, what do you think YOUR word is?"

"That is an absolutely unfair question," was my first thought. Who can resist, though? I mean, human beings, any living thing really, is a complicated design. One word? One English word?! How confining! But, an interesting challenge all the same...

What is my word?

I don't know if it is so much a definition as it is a comfort to find a word. Maybe it is in the wearing of the word that makes me feel protected by definition.

In any case, since I have thought of the word WANDERLUST, I have rather liked it more and more with each wearing.  Clicking on the link, you'll see the romantics clashing with psychology. It is not only the most gorgeous freedom, but also the reason for absolute mental chaos.

"Hmmmm, self development or self deprecation? I just can't choose...."

In any case, whether it's selfish with a dash of running away from people places and things or it's pure freedom and openness: Wanderlust is my word. It gets me into trouble and it gets me on top of mountains. It gets me sour looks and it gets me to experience new things. It loses me friends and gains me others. It's like that little sibling that you just don't get along with while simultaneously loving them your entire life.

And I'm in need of a little indulgence. I need to go somewhere. My thoughts are going wild...

While I travel out into geography any chance I get, I suppose I could wander through my mind as well. A deep mapless trek through the wild!


Stay tuned for the nonsensical flow of thought that will assuredly ensue...