When you return to your classroom after an extended break it just feels different. You have a long-term perspective that you cannot replicate without a lengthy break. Classroom teachers are impacted by their closeness to the classroom. Details in everyday teaching, paperwork minutia, working with the families of their students create an immersion which can be observed, by only felt from the inside of that classroom bubble.
Of course, some teachers move into other positions during their career in education. Some move into support roles and others move into administration. Often in these other roles one acquires another way to view the precious 180 days of a school year. The separation from the details, which bring a teacher’s vision down to one classroom level, frees an educator to survey different ways of teaching and being a teacher.
But for teachers who want to stay in the classroom, how can we sporadically inject that perspective into their practice? Why in the current educational system are moves from classrooms to other positions a one way proposition?
Classroom teachers could use a way to confidently take a year off from the classroom without permanently leaving the classroom. Teachers likely need assurance that they can return to a comparable classroom. Teachers likely need a culture which values shifting perspective and does not think a move “back” to the classroom is a downgrade.
Our best teachers should be in the classrooms. But what if we use them up? Could we extend the quality of a “good” teacher’s career by structuring meaningful years outside of the classroom? Only those truly closest to the classroom can help us answer that.
2017-12-26 at 10:40 am
This post is near and dear to my heart. Teachers do need to focus on how we can stay in the classroom.
2017-12-26 at 12:36 pm
Teachers are s valuable to our children. My son is in a school now where the teachers love being in class and are encouraging him to be more creative and successful.
2017-12-26 at 4:53 pm
I know it is difficult to return to the classroom after taking another position, but that’s kind of a good thing – it means we’re not stagnant in educating our children. There should be some kind of program for administrators wishing to reenter the classroom to help.
2017-12-26 at 4:58 pm
I know a lot of teachers in my kids’ school are really upset because they are doing a major overhaul of our district next year. Change is hard and after reading this, i can understand why!
2017-12-26 at 5:42 pm
My best friend is a teacher and not many people realize just how VALUABLE teachers are to our kids. Change is really hard, and these made it even more eyeopening!
2017-12-26 at 5:45 pm
I always say that being a teacher has to be one of the hardest jobs! They work so hard for less pay than they deserve. I have mad respect for our teachers.
2017-12-26 at 5:48 pm
It is definitely not easy to return to the classroom after an extended break. It is even harder to do so after summer vacation.
2017-12-26 at 6:00 pm
I was homeschooled by a parent who had no interest in math after grade 3 and it definitely affect my relationship with math. I have a friend who teaches grade 4 math and her being eagaged in the classroom is so important! She works really hard at it too.
2017-12-26 at 8:34 pm
It seems teachers do not often get the credit they deserve. A teachers wears so many hats. Educator, referee, just to name a couple. My hats are off to teachers and to the ones that are able to touch a child’s life.
2017-12-26 at 10:11 pm
My husband thought of getting his teaching certification. But the school system is difficult where I live. And the teachers I know often struggle to stay employed. So he didn’t do it. It really is important to make teachers feel like they are on a path because you don’t want to lose good teachers.
2017-12-27 at 12:24 am
Students really begin to trust their teachers and it’s so hard when they need to leave for a extended period of time. My son had this happen in his science class, and the substitute just upset the whole great vibe they had going.
2017-12-27 at 1:47 am
Love this post. At least from a student’s perspective, it’s hard to lose a teacher to another school or position — but so often these new opportunities can lead to more varied skills if and when they do return to the classroom!
2017-12-27 at 8:44 am
This is a great post, and it is hard to lose a teacher, i remember how it felt when I was in school. I often think that we do not credit the educators with all the wonderful things they do. They do a lot for kids and are often people they trust.
2017-12-27 at 11:25 am
Teachers have a very hard job! Most are wonderful and impacted my son’s life for the best. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to come back to a classroom after a long break.
2017-12-27 at 3:40 pm
I would imagine that taking a break every now and then would be good for teachers, but it sounds like it’s difficult to be able to get back into it. That’s too bad. I do know a teacher in our district who thought she wanted to go into administration, but after a year of being an assistant principal decided to go back into the classroom. She was one of my daughter’s favorite teachers last year. If only it could be that easy for everyone!
2017-12-27 at 4:03 pm
This is a great post. I have such respect for teachers, not only because there are a few in my family but also because I have seen their impact in my child’s learning
2017-12-27 at 4:03 pm
This is a thought provoking post. As a teacher myself, I love being in the classroom. However, I welcome holidays and the chance to have a bit of a break. It can sometimes get rather overwhelming.
2017-12-27 at 5:54 pm
I know that when my kids go back to school after the breaks they have it is so different. It is like a fresh start for everyone.
2017-12-27 at 10:03 pm
I believe this is true! My kids have been fortunate enough to have so many wonderful teachers over the years!!
2017-12-27 at 10:13 pm
Such a good point! I’m currently taking some time off from the classroom to be a mom and I know the transition back to the classroom is going to be a hard one – both personally and with the hoops I’ll have to jump through. I do miss the classroom a lot though.
2017-12-28 at 11:34 am
Your right!! It is not easy to go back to school after the long and extended break. But at first, it was on the 2nd day they were easy for them to return to their test.
2017-12-28 at 5:56 pm
I feel the same way after taking an extended break as a student. It can be tough at times for me.
2017-12-28 at 9:50 pm
This is exactly how I feel after the holiday break! Luckily I teach a semester class and get new faces each semester!