After two well-deserved summer months off, teachers dust off their lesson-plan books and prepare for a new group of fresh-faced students. What’s not to love? Here, teachers count the ways…
“I love to see the kids again, but I’m a tennis hog! I don’t have much time for the sport during the school year.”
—Italian language teacher Maria Longo
Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
“While it’s fun to go back and have a new class and see my teacher friends, I have to be up at five thirty to make sure I’m signed in by seven thirty-five. Not fun! During the summer, you’re in this nice little routine of going to the pool and lounging around. Also, teaching is not easy. It’s very hard to learn the names and personalities of all the students. When you’re teaching, it’s like you’re on stage. It’s very tiring.”
—Math teacher Linda Martocci
Lincoln High School, Yonkers
“As much as I like teaching, going back to school is an added stress in two main ways. When you work closely with people, you hear and feel their problems and stress, and stress reduces your lifespan. Second, when you teach, you have to face this reality: you’re not only a professional but a role model and you have to do your best to live up to that.”
—Physical education teacher Joshua Green
Iona Grammar School, New Rochelle
“When school begins, I know my beach days are few and far between. I dislike setting my alarm clock early and being inside on beautiful days.”
—First-Grade Teacher Meme Weinham
Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary School, Buchanan
