The Stages of Summer

Well, June came and went. July is just behind us and here we are already 4 days into August. In the next couple of weeks teachers in Texas will be returning to work. I personally return tomorrow, a week before everyone else at my campus because of a two-week course I am teaching. As I prepare to return I can't help but reflect on this summer as well as what "summer" is to every other teacher.

For those of you that aren't teachers I thought I might give you a little insight into our lives and perhaps help you know how to love on your teacher friends, spouses, or family members in the next few weeks. 

The Stages of Summer
Stage 1: Weeks 1 - 3
During Stage 1 you will most likely find a teacher sleeping in without an alarm. I would love to say this meant we were sleeping until 10, but most likely not. This is also the stage where we just don't do a whole lot. There probably is a lot of binge watching Netflix, catching up on the DVR, or finally watching the movie that everyone has been talking about. I can guarantee that most teachers think nothing of their job in these first few weeks. For me personally, this stage usually includes a nice long interrupted breakfast, and a nap daily. This is the time where we get to decompress and try to forget about why we wanted to quit our job in April. 

Stage 2: Weeks 4 - 6
Stage 2 is what I would call the fun stage. You could find a teacher doing a number of different things. Whatever it is that is "fun" to them. For some it means a trip to a new destination. For others it is lunch dates with the various people they never get to see. Stage 2 might also be filled with family time, particularly for those who don't have family close. After we have rested in Stage 1 (and yes, it can take that long), we are now ready to go out and do the things we have been dreaming about.

Stage 3: Weeks 7 - 8
Stage 3 is all business. This is the time when we cram every doctor appointment, hair appointment, car service, and home improvement project necessary. It's not fun, but for me (Enneagram 1) it actually can bring me a lot of joy. It is during this stage that we can start to feel purposeless, so having a to do list and knocking it out may be just what we need. This is the stage where others start to make comments about us still being on vacation. I always try to respond with grace but sometimes it is hard. 

Stage 4: Weeks 9 - 10
Stage 4 is the start of the return. If we haven't already run into the school supply section at Wal-Mart and Target we are definitely seeing it now. There may be a little denial at first but then the panic starts to set in. So much to get done before we have to return to work. We know we won't actually get a significant amount of time to work in our rooms during in-service so for some, this stage means getting into our classrooms to prepare for in-service! We make lists of supplies we will need and have long internal conversations about what we really "need" and what we just "want". We try to rationalize purchases for things that we know we can find in the supply room. We also get excited about a new year and the joys of teaching. Stage 1 was a long time ago, so the woes of the previous year have long been forgotten. 

We will start another year, most of us with a new group of students, with a new hope. Similar to the stages of summer, there are stages of the school year for which we mentally prepare ourselves. A new school year can cause anxiety for many with all the unknowns. This is true even for a teacher at the same school, in the same position. We created for ourselves a new normal during summer and here we are returning to the same job, but wondering what could be, or maybe forgetting how it is. The first week back can be so fun as we reminisce about our summers with coworkers but it always goes way too quickly. Soon enough we will be staying late at school, having parent meetings, and planning interventions for students. 

But not yet.

This is something I have to remind myself often. My calendar is planned months in advance and I am always looking to what's next. I find more joy when I enjoy the present instead of worrying about the future.

So how to love a teacher this week:

1. Pray for them and tell them you are praying for them.
2. Don't give them a hard time for being on vacation for 10 weeks. 
3. Ask if there are any supplies they need that you might be able to help with.
4. Be patient in the next few months when they are hard to reach or spend time with, but DON'T stop reaching out.
5. Don't tell them you wish you were a teacher so that you could have 10 weeks off. PLEASE!!! 
6. Ask for specific prayer requests and continue to check in.

There is no doubt I love what I do. It does not negate the fact that it is hard. There is a lot of responsibility for teachers and most of us don't take that lightly. All the teachers I know would sacrifice a lot for their students without asking for anything in return. We needed this summer, and we are thankful for it.

But summer is over and it's time to get back to work.

Teacher friends... we got this!! Really, God's got this and I'm just here to show up. And when just showing up is hard, God will give me the strength, hopefully with the help of my community encouraging me all the while.

Cheers to summer, a fresh start, and a desire to never stop growing!

**Teacher friends I would love to hear your comments on the Stages of Summer. What did I miss? Did anything ring true for you? Let me know in the comments!**