Another Fall Break

Sitting in Starbucks on my first day of Fall Break, I’m thinking about how different life is this year than at this time last year. We’re at the first nine weeks mark, and I’m feeling ridiculously blessed to be here instead of there. Last year at this time, I did a pros and cons list, which has been interesting, if not for anyone else, for me to look back at and, like any bad relationship, to be able to say, “I should have known THEN.” I think this post will be very different to look back on :)

First of all, school counseling is a whole different world than teaching. I don’t have to manage a classroom, and there is no discipline and no keeping kids in order, which means that I get to always be the “good guy” who encourages kids when they’re down. It is no secret that I really like being the good guy. There is no grading and no lesson planning, which means that I get to arrive at school when it starts and leave when it ends…instead of an hour before and after as was often the case last year. Trust me, 6:30 a.m. Wal-Mart runs for food lab supplies don’t really incite an, “I love my job!” response anywhere within me.

Second, you have to have a “cons” list, or it doesn’t seem realistic. However, I’m having trouble coming up with a down side to my job. I guess if anything, it would be that I get “stuck” in my office a lot, which means I’ve met maybe 30 kids of the probably 700. Another thing is that while I feel challenged in many ways (figuring out procedurally how things work, solving ethical dilemmas, and sorting through emotional difficulties with kids), I find myself craving more critical thinking and tangible things like statistics and data. Fortunately, once I get a handle on the first set of challenges, I’ll be able to incorporate the second set more easily. Contrary to popular opinion I’ve heard from counselors, I love the administrative parts of the job—testing, organizing test information, interpreting testing data, evaluation, and improvement based on that evaluation. LOVE my job! (Cons section fail! It had too good an ending!)

So, I love my new job, but I'm glad to be on a break! Tonight, we are headed homeward to celebrate birthdays and enjoy the atmosphere of relaxation and home. Here are some pictures of where we are headed.