One of the most difficult things a student faces in a school year is getting back to school after the summer vacation. Getting entire days for just playing, sleeping for long hours, unlimited access to television and tablets and a whole lot of fun with friends and cousins is a privilege restricted to the holidays. Because in the upcoming days, these things just seem to be beyond a boundary that says ‘trespassing not allowed’.
But, every coin has two sides. This gruelling time is balanced by the happiness of reuniting with classmates and teachers and the joy of making new friends. And of course, lovely back-to-school accessories that parents purchase to encourage children to go to school, work like a charm. Even before they realise it, students get used to this routine.
Being a teacher, I too, dread the ending of the summer break. After all, when else do teachers get so much time to relax and unwind? Thinking about the long list of submissions that need to be done in the coming weeks and the preparations for the upcoming inspection that awaits us, makes me cringe even more.
But, once I’m back, just like my students, I like to meet my colleagues and friends. Also, I completely enjoy seeing how much my students have grown up during this time. I look forward to listening to the new destinations they explored and the new skills that they acquired during summer. There are always some kids who come up with extraordinary things that they created or found out about.
No matter how difficult and exhausting this may seem, at the end of the day, there’s nothing better than doing something you love. So shun laziness, follow your dreams and do something worthy while you still can.
And of course, welcome back to school.
- The reader is a teacher at a Dubai-based school.
