Some former fellow teachers and I were talking at lunch today about the different things we've noticed ourselves doing because we still have "the teacher mentality"
For example--we find ourselves trying to save the scraps of paper and every last paper clip instead of remember the supply cabinet is just a few feet away and almost always stocked with new supplies. Or acutally being able to ask for unique supplies--like a ruler or scissors, kleenex, (in my case a protractor and graph paper) and the pop-up post-it note dispenser--not having to supply one's own.
Or having trouble getting used to being able to leave work, at work. Ya know--we don't have to take it home! (Now granted, there will probably come times when weather/or upcoming deadline may result in work going home...) I still haven't gotten used to be able to come home without anything pressing to do and actually feeling like cooking!
I find myself in the mornings and afternoons as I leave for work/leave work having to stop and remind myself, that no, I'm not forgetting a back of grading or something like that. My shoulder is still confused that it ONLY carries a purse back and forth to work and the occasional small lunch.
And the fact that we don't have to be quite AS concerned about what we are doing in public and how it may or may not offend parents who could be nearby.
It's also hard, but pleasurable, to get used to the quiet...but yet also sort of missing the teacher camaraderie that would happen throughout the day. Or not getting used to be not being tied to a bell schedule. and the though that it is OKAY to take vacation time right before a holiday break! And being free to schedule dr appts whenever during the day rather than worry about getting things done during a conference period or after school or on a "free day" and really, none of us misses ALL the required inservice, committee meetings, and training days. or, even better DUTY! (a job where I'm not required to monitor the bathrooms or lunchroom or some other inane thing like that)
It's rather nice. I do miss interacting with students--but I'll look into working some kind of tutoring program on evenings/weekends once we get settled into our new home.
Posted by Anna at July 24, 2008 05:52 PM | TrackBack