August 27, 2007
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The First and the Last Day of Summer Vacation
Today is the first day and the last day of my summer vacation. Every time when I hear someone say that being a teacher is good because you have so many holidays, a complex feeling searches over me. It is true that we have much more written holidays than those in other professions. However, the pressure when you are at work or even off duty is much higher than those in other professions. Many people in other professions leave their work behind when they leave the offices. We can’t! I got a phone call from a student last night when I was about to order in a restaurant. He said he would like to ask me some questions on limits because he had to prepare for the commencement of the following school year. He sounded a little bit depressed. I put down the menu and my urgent needs to refill my energy immediately. The problem was not about limits. The problem was about anxiety. I did not talk much over the phone but I thought he felt a little bit relieved after the conversation on the phone. I did not and will not blame the student. But this is what I mean if you are a teacher. You should be available at all times. If you can’t, you shouldn’t be a teacher.
Well, I should treaure the last day I can have although I still need to complete the appraisal forms of some of my colleagues and the notes for my pure mathematics class in the following year. I really feel like doing nothing today except pampering myself.
