Secret Post*

(I actually wrote this yesterday and meant to post it when I got home after work, but we had friends over for dinner and my day was non-stop until bedtime. At which point I lay down on the bed “for a minute” and woke up at 2 am, took off my make up, put on my jammies and went back to bed. I was a wee bit tired.)

This post is secretly coming to you from work.

I likely won’t be able to actually post it until later tonight when I get home, but for today I am the Special Education department head and my work schedule is simply to sit in the Academic Resource Room all day. There are no lesson plans, no scheduled classes, no assigned work. I am on full supervision alllll day. Easy, but to be honest, I’m a wee bit bored.

Normally this room is busy and full with students who are writing quizzes or working on a variety of assignments, but it’s only the second week of school. I had one student come first period, and there are about 5 here now. I’ve offered my help about 6 times but now they’re all looking at me like I’m a crazy person so I retreated here to my desk to write in secret. It looks like I’m sending important emails.

Today I’m back at the school I worked at the year before I went on maternity leave for P. It is so nice to be back. I’ve already bumped into several staff members who remembered me, and one of my former grade nine students poked his head in and was so surprised to see me here. Despite the complete and utter exhaustion of last night, being back in a school is so wonderful. I’ve missed this more than I realized.

I can’t help but feel like it’s not a coincidence that my first two days back at work ended up being at my two favourite schools in my board. I taught my favourite classes yesterday, and today I am literally sitting in a comfy office chair enjoying the quiet. I have been so worried and stressed about returning to work, and I was gifted the best possible way to ease back into it. I just feel really grateful.

Well, I’m going to offer another round of my help and wit to my students. I can see one eye rolling already. Ha.