The countdown to the last day of school has begun. Parties and field trips are being planned. Marking the milestones of learning progress--look how far they've come since August! The ultimate celebration of graduating from high schools and colleges.
These are big moments to celebrate, but before we get there, we encounter hurdles: standardized testing, advanced placement exams, portfolio completions. Grades to enter, transcripts to finalize, deadline after deadline to meet. As a librarian, I have summer reading and internet safety lessons, inventory and annual reports to complete, my self-evaluation, weeding, and the last minute hunt for missing books before students and staff leave. While teachers are busy marching toward summer, parents are busy planning out summers to maximize family time and facilitate major transitions. The fear of failure and missed deadlines looms large this month.
And let's not forget the fears of the students. In my former life as a special education teacher, I had to prepare my students for a summer without structure. For some, school was the safest place they knew; the break from campus was also a break from regular meals, caring touch, positive reinforcement and appropriate consequences for behavioral mistakes.
Soon-to-be graduates of all levels harbor fears for their futures: transitioning to new schools (oh, that leap to middle school!), the quasi-independence of college, the post-grad job hunt. For high school seniors in particular, there's the push-pull of the need for independence battling with the realization of just how much support they've gotten from parents. I see this in my own son on a daily basis; one minute it's "I can't wait to be gone", the next it's "College is scary."
I'm not sure what weighs more this month, the celebration or the anxiety. My goal is to focus on the joy as much as possible...and pay close attention to the calendar.
You summed up May very well! The excitement of summer, the fear of getting 'it all done', the anticipation of the fall. So many thoughts and emotions. I'm glad you plan on taking the time to find the joy at this crazy time of year!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Noel! I can't believe how fast May arrived this year.
DeleteMy son is feeling this same push/pull as a senior, and it is very difficult to watch and give support while letting go of the reins. I'm glad I found your slice!
ReplyDeleteIt's a necessary struggle. Even with all the practicalities we can teach, the emotional part is unavoidable!
DeleteYour post is a good reminder that we have to acknowledge both the celebratory things and the anxiety some children face with the school year coming to an end. I'm seeing it first-hand at home. While my daughter is excited to be a first grader next year, she seems a little sad for her Kindergarten year to end.
ReplyDeleteYou know your children have had a great school experience when they are already mourning the separation. I see the anxiety in the library already!
DeleteExcellent summation of this month. I remember that feeling as a senior in high school to be excited one minute and then anxious about leaving not just my town in August but all of classmates that I'd known since I was four. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anna! It's a tumultuous time for seniors, to be sure. I was the only one to leave from my group, and I remember those feelings well!
DeleteMay is indeed such a difficult month. I love how you've captured all of the joys and tribulations that the month has to offer. As I've taught longer and longer I've become more aware of just how much school means to the students, especially those who seem to like it the least. Thanks for a great slice!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tim--and thank you for being a safe harbor for your students!
DeleteI've never stopped to think of May like that before. Made me realize that each month has its own special significance to an educator... perhaps more so than in other professions. I wish you much joy this May.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how this May, with our second and last high school senior in the house, compares with next May. Perhaps my slices at this time next year will seem less harried!
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