Back To School Blues

You’ve got that feeling in the pit of your stomach and it’s not going to go away.

Reality is kicking in. School starts soon and you are in denial.

Even though you have the best job in the world, you know that transitioning back into teacher mode is not going to be easy. You’ve enjoyed not being a teacher for a while and just being yourself. You’ve enjoyed some family time and a chance to do things at your speed. You’ve not hard to get up early and you’ve had marking-free evenings. It’s been bliss.

Summer is definitely winding down and families are preparing for the new school year but you don’t feel ready. They are all talking about what their new teacher will be like and that teacher is you.

The thing is, they don’t know that you are as nervous as they are.

People close to you see the change every year. They see you in a glorious demob happy state for the first few weeks of your holidays but in the couple of weeks leading up to the new term they see a different you. They see the Back to School you.

They see the anxiety creeping back into your life and some behavioural changes that indicate that you are mentally preparing for a return to the classroom, staff meetings and school stress. The signs include:

• Sleep disturbance
• Changes in eating habits
• Changes in alcohol habits
• Tetchiness and mood changes
• Impatience
• Increased frustration
• The odd meltdown here and there
• Clinging on to the days as if they are your last days on the planet
• Decreased social interactions
• Refusal to engage in normal daily activities

Yes, going back to school as a teacher is never easy because the summer break is a long one and you have started to relax. But you resent the fact that this feeling has to stop because you know the relentless pace of school life is going to hit you like a ton of bricks.

Meanwhile, your new class will be getting ready, frequenting stationery shops and hitting Clarks shoes and eeking out the last few days just like you. They don’t want to go back, you don’t want to go back but their parents have different ideas. They have no sympathy for you as they only get two weeks off. They’ve had enough of child care so they can’t wait to get rid.

It’s a very emotional time of the year! You are pregnant with anticipation and just want to give birth and get it over with.