Vacation is Over

My students were pleased to see me back today. I'd missed the last two days before Christmas break because I'd gotten very ill. It felt weird to be back at school because it seemed like such a long, long time since I'd been there. I had three absent students, and I wasn't surprised. There are often several students who don't return on the first day after our long winter vacation. Sometimes, it is because they've gone out of town and aren't back yet. And sometimes, it is just because no one at their house noticed that school started again. Seriously.

Today, as we were walking down the ramp from the playground, downstairs to the door which leads to our hallway, I noticed a little girl standing by her parents and crying her eyes out. When I approached them, as we got to the stairs, I suggested to her that she ought to just follow my class inside to go to her room. I thought they were waiting for us to pass by in order to walk up the ramp to the playground where all the classes meet at the beginning of the day after the bell. However, it wasn't being a little late that was causing her stress.

I said, "Don't worry, you're not late. You can come here with our class and go down to your room."  I explained that her class was probably already downstairs in their classroom. No response--just more crying. At that point, Dad said to me, "Oh, she is just wanting more vacation! She isn't upset about being late."  Ha, ha, ha!! That made me laugh.

I leaned down so I could see her face better, and I replied, "Oh, I know just how you feel! Most of us teachers wish we were still on vacation, too! I don't think anyone is excited to be here today."  She and dad followed us in the door, and I directed him down the hall to her third grade classroom. He had to hold her hand and pretty much insist that she keep walking. I hope she had a better day. It didn't start that well.

We had a pretty good day in fourth grade, but everyone was quite tired. And now, it's time to go to bed, because tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow we have to get up and do it all over again. We'll all feel better soon as we get back into our groove.