Summer Tata vs The Calendar

Never look at a calendar before you go to bed. I did this last night around 11 and to my sad surprise realized I start summer school in a week, just as I was slipping into the silly skin of lazy summer days. Daniel calls this content, relaxed woman Summer Tata**. Last night in the kitchen, as we were making a late evening supper, dancing and laughing the hours away, he exclaimed "I like Summer Tata!" It made me think. Is Work Tata a different soul? Is she bad? Is she good? Is she stressed? Is her stress justified? Where does Summer Tata disappear to from late August to early June every year?

Ahh... the questions....

I'm learning... Work Tata is neither good nor bad. She has existed. Her stress is legitimate but so many times her work ethic is the unneeded cause of this anxiety. Her job is stressful. She teaches students with mild to severe educational and emotional disabilities that require routine, structure and consistency. Many parents of her students provide little reinforcement so she is constantly playing the role of teacher, parent, aunt or even friend. It is hard to leave stress at work, knowing that some of her students return home to a bed on the floor, 8 hours of mind-numbing TV and a bowl of condensed tomato soup if they're lucky. But... this is even more reason for my students and colleagues to get a glimpse of Summer Tata the duration of a long school year.

As I approach classes this summer, I will integrate Summer Tata in my interactions at work and play. Work Tata may raise her observant eyes from time to time, but that's okay... the balance of the two is essential for both job security and sanity!

Summer school can't be all that bad anyways...
according to the calendar, it's only from 8am-12pm...
oh........ it also said today is the first day of summer.....

**Tata is an endearing name my beautiful nieces and nephews
have chosen for me, inspired by SuisseFam... and it's stuck...
now my husband playfully calls me
Tata from time to time.**