Teaching has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I enjoy working with my students and watching them blossom in the classroom. Unfortunately, by the end of the school year most of my colleagues and I feel pretty drained. The buildup of paperwork and backlogged phone calls all come to a bottleneck at the end of the year resulting in a stressful finish. Thankfully, teachers are entitled to a wonderful two months known as "summer vacation."
I am currently in Washington D.C. doing just that. As a history teacher, there is so much to explore in our Nation's capitol. Every building has a story and I enjoy reading every placard and inscription on the thousands of monuments and statues throughout the city. This afternoon I will tour the Holocaust museum and then stand in line at the National Archives so that I can see the Declaration of Independence.
This time off during the summer has provided me with an opportunity to not only relax and visit family and friends around the country, but also to come up with new ideas for my classroom. I just read The essential 55 and I am currently reading Napoleon's Button's and Chasing Che. I hope to use the ideas in these books for my class in the upcoming year. I hope that all teachers use the time over the summer to charge their batteries and also to prepare themselves for the upcoming year.
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