“You can’t stop a teacher 
when they want to do something. 
They just do it!”
J.D. Salinger

Yes, in mid-August! 

Tonight, in homes across America, teachers are putting the final touches on their lesson plans for the upcoming week. Gone are the days when students and teachers returned to the classroom on the day after Labor Day in September. Over the past several years, what was once known as “summer vacation” has been infringed upon by earlier back-to-school dates. But this is not my main point this evening.

What I want to focus on tonight is a part of our education system of which many Americans are apparently unaware. A teacher’s job does not begin on the first day of school, nor does it end on the last day of school. At the conclusion of each academic year, teachers are required to complete a plethora of administrative tasks, from finalizing grades to cleaning (or, in some cases, emptying) their classrooms. Many educators use the summer months to work on advanced degrees, to clear their credentials, or to engage in any number of professional development programs. 

Long before the start of a new academic year, teachers must set up their classrooms, secure classroom supplies (often at their own expense), update attendance lists, organize seating charts, and prepare both long-term and short-term lesson plans. They are also required to complete online training programs pertaining to child abuse, first aid, professionalism in the workplace, and even pest control on campus, and to attend a number of faculty meetings to discuss issues pertinent to the upcoming school year. And if the school is facing a reaccreditation in the coming year, well,… I won’t even go there.

Sadly, it seems that there is no shortage of people who believe that teaching is a laid-back profession which requires educators to work only 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for nine months (September to the beginning of June) of each year. Many resent that teachers also get a two-week break at Christmas and one-week breaks in February (“ski week,” “winter break,” “Presidents’ Week”…) and again in April (“Easter vacation, “spring break,”…) Ignorance is bliss.

The amount of time conscientious teachers devote to school-related business outside of the normal eight to three school day can be staggering. It is not uncommon for educators who are devoted to their craft to arrive on campus at least one hour prior to the start of the first period of each day and to leave campus two to three hours after the final bell. These extra hours provide time for teachers to handle such tasks as photocopying handouts, meeting individually with students and/or parents, collaborating with colleagues, grading assignments and tests, responding to email, and maintaining an organized classroom environment. 

For many, if not most teachers, those extra hours on campus are still insufficient to complete everything that is expected of them. Most educators, therefore, take work home with them. Some of the tasks can be completed in the late evening or early morning hours during the work week, but many teachers still find themselves spending some of their weekend hours on work-related business just to keep up with the demands of the job. 

There are, of course, exceptions to this level of dedication to one’s work. Several years ago, one teacher proudly confided to me that she never brought schoolwork home with her. She may have thought I’d be impressed with her commitment to preventing her job from infringing on her free time. I wasn’t. Her comment did, however, speak volumes about her work ethic. Sadly, she’s not alone in approaching her job in this way.

I am grateful for all those women and men who are working from home tonight in preparation for tomorrow. I’m grateful for all my teachers, elementary school through graduate school, who prepared well for the courses they taught. And I will be forever grateful for the experience of 43 years of teaching.