SSSScchoooolll's out for the summa'?

 The last week of school might seem like one big party in, say, the opening scene of Dazed and Confused with KISS blasting in the background, but it wears. my. ass. out. every. year.

I always feel completely rung out the last week: the grades, the packing, the shredding documents, the last minute meetings, the feeling irritated by the spazzy 8th graders who are on level twenty (out of ten), the wondering if I made a difference at all, and the answering last minute e-mails written in ALL CAPS from disgruntled parents trying to get me to change grades.

I guess I'm the one weird teacher out there who feels kinda low at the end of the year, spent of all energy and am ruminating about whether I should keep teaching indefinitely.  Whether I have it in me. 

This happens to me every single year, guys.  I've even mentioned it before here.  I guess it's like my friend Mali who inevitably feels low on her birthday, even when she turned twenty-one.  At least I've come to expect about three days of sleeping in way too late and Googling "jobs for English majors" before I'm back to feeling normal again.  Usually, after sneaking in to my old apartment pool to sunbathe a few times does my self some good.

I usually don't ask for responses or anything, but I'm genuinely curious, so if you have any thoughts I'd love to hear them.  Do any of you ever soul search about your job? Like after a really shitty day?  I guess other jobs aren't really cyclical, so maybe no one else has the every so-predictable variety of emotions: 

 September- Girl Meets Year!  She is overwhelmed, but ready to begin.

 October- Loving teaching Poe

 Nov-Dec- Wow, it feels like the year is flying by!

 Jan- First fight (AKA: state assessments)

 Feb-March- Bumping along

April- Spring break!

May-As predictable as a rom com chase scene:  I'm in testing hell again

June- FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD, WHEN WILL THIS YEAR BE OVER??

I'm genuinely curious if this happens to anyone else, so if it does, let me know.  If your job is always two hour lunches and benefits and bonding retreats and rainbows, don't tell me.  Or do, and specify how I get that job!

 I'm honestly not trying to write this for any kind of life advice; I just thought it was interesting and a little funny how this happens every year.  It's kind of random to think how I've never not been in school. From kindergarten to present day, I've either been a student, student-teacher, or teacher. But you knew that already.

Because of the nature of my job, I sometimes think of the parts of other careers that I have never experienced. Like, I have never given out a business card and never cashed a bonus check.I've never done a trust fall at a company retreat and never worked from home. I've never high fived after scoring an account.
 Oh, and I have never had to further explain my job title at a party. "Teacher" is universally understood, unlike, say, "I'm a human resources director" which could mean many things.

But...I've also never missed a beach week. I've never been stuck in an office. I've never filled out a TPS report or had to wear a suit to work or watched the clock tick by. You can't do that when you have thirty middle schoolers staring at you expectantly.  I generally am busy.  I'm hardly ever bored.  I feel like I'm good at my job and love so many parts of it.

No more ruminating or thinking about summer school that begins in a few weeks.  I'm already feeling more relaxed just writing this.  Tomorrow, I'll post my more cheery "School's out for the summa!" list.  I can't underestimate the power of, say, homemade icecream and a few hours at the pool.  Really, those things (and some time off) make so much of a difference.