{insert stress here}

Well, summer vacation is officially over.

I go back to work full-time starting tomorrow.

And as excited as I am to get back to work, I have to admit that it brings a load of stress along with it.

I'll also admit that while I love my job, there are times I wish I had a more simple, office job instead.

But then I know I would terribly miss what I love to do.

So instead of dump the career I've worked my whole life for, I've decided to voice some of the things that stress me out about going back to work.

***This is NOT meant to be a complaint. I'm beyond blessed to have the job that I have, but writing this out helps me get things into perspective.***

1. If my students are not "up to snuff" on their test scores, I can lose my job.

That's the biggest stress-inducer right there.

My school operates on merit-based pay/contracts.

So if my kiddos aren't making progress, I'm out.
It happens quite often at my school.

That's scary stuff, right there.

2. My contract says that my day ends at 4. My day doesn't end at 4. Like I said in a previous post last week, I'm going to try very hard to find a balance between work and life. 

Even though I have TONS of stuff to do after 4, I need to find that magical time each night where I shut off "work-mode Lisa."

3. Who knows what kind of kiddos I'll be dealt this year.

I started out with some...rough kids last year.

And while I ended up the year with a fantastic group, it took a lot of work to get there.

Going back to #1, I need to focus on academics...not just for them, but for my own job security.

If I have to spend a ton of time stopping students from stabbing each other in the ears with scissors (true story from last year) I have less time to spend on preparing them for assessments that can determine whether or not I remain a teacher.

4. The added workload:

lesson plans, newsletters, homework calendars, progress reports, making assessments, report cards, parent/teacher meetings, unit plans, grading papers, etc.

Rereading this, it doesn't seem like as big of a deal as I'm assuming it will be. That's why I needed to write it all out. I can {hopefully} handle everything that I've listed above. And since I plan on finding more "me time" this school year, I am hoping that will give me more time at night to "de-stress" and prepare mentally for the next day.

Anyway, if you've stuck around for this seemingly endless rant, I applaud you.

Again, this is NOT in any way a pity-party.

I'm actually looking forward to getting back to work.

I know for a fact that I will not be bored for the next 10 months, because there will always be something to work on, and I look forward to sharing some of the funny stories that make every stressful moment of my job totally worth it!