Summer vacation begins tomorrow. We will pull out of the driveway and… Head west, young man. Head west! Where to? We will tent camp across the U.S from Kentucky to Nevada and back through Texas and Florida. And I am so looking forward to this much needed vacation.
Yet, what is my husband reminding me more than anything else as we prepare to leave? “You are not a teacher on this trip!” It seems that he does not like it when I only talk about teaching as we travel on our vacations. But, you see, I can’t help it! I am a teacher. I love my job. I love my students. I love planning, and creating, and implementaing my lessons! I am a teacher, and it’s just what I do.
I guess he has a point that in the jacuzzi on the back of the Carnival cruise ship is not the place for a lengthy discussion on the state of education in the world today, but that other couple was really interested in all I had to say. And I am a Social Studies teacher; I teach about current events!
Now this year, as we camp, I am sure we will encounter many other travelers. And I am sure they will make comments or ask questions that will prompt me into a “teacher” discussion. But, I will try. I will try to refrain from the in-depth lesson on the state of the world and the need for more parental involvement in the schools. I will hold back on my lesson about the need of a better educated population to take care of us as we age. I will resist the urge to talk about my latest prodigy or my greatest success in the past school year.
How will I do this great task? I have decided I will take on whole new persona… I am Michele, a journalist from New York City. I write a column on special interests as assigned by my editor each week. It’s a very exciting job. I meet important people, challenge wrongs, and set the record straight. I fight evil with my words, and I love what I do.
So, if you run into a journalist from NYC tent camping across America this summer, be sure to share your thoughts on the state of education. I’m sure it would make my husband very happy! 🙂 And it would finally give me the chance to talk about what I love! Once a teacher, always a teacher…
I am the same! A guy I used to date once told me, "You talk like a teacher even when you're at home. Are you ever not learning or teaching?" And of course my answer was…NO! Enjoy your trips!
Miss B, Busy Bee
This is so funny. Husbands of teachers must be the same everywhere 🙂 Have a great trip!
This totally cracked me up. I can so relate to this post. It's hard to take off our teacher hat. It's simply a part of who we are.