I’ve been working in the public school system for just under two years, and I’ve noticed something strange about teaching. It changes your perception of time.
Most of us experienced the standard September-June school year as children. September was a new beginning, the whole school year felt like an eternity, then, as June crept up on you, you started getting giddy. Finally summer came and summers were long, and then at the end, in a mix of dread and excitement (or maybe just the dread), it was back to the old grind,
Most people age out of this system and never go back. They either get a steady job where they work throughout the year, they don’t work at all, or they’re one of those lucky freelancers who get to pick up projects, complete them, and start something new.
Either way, life doesn’t take that rigid, ten-months-on, two-months-off structure anymore. It all blends into itself. Years can pass without you realizing it.
Teaching is different. When a year passes, you know. The job places you face-to-face with the passing time.