The mythology of inservice week

Inservice week!  Ah, that beautiful week where teachers get to set up their classrooms, put labels on all their books, painstakingly write student names on a variety of surfaces, and generate creative plans that will keep the students engaged in their learning.  It's a time to reconnect with fellow educators, share ideas and make grand plans for field trips and enrichment activities.  As the Pinterest-worthy classrooms come together, excitement builds, and finally culminates with that first day of school.

Except, that's not how it is.  Not even in the slightest -- at least in my experiences.  

I should have realized this back when I was in college, doing my September Experience (a three week program where I helped a teacher set up her classroom and then started the school year with her.)

There were lots of meetings, but I wasn't invited to all of them, so I kept working in her room, not wondering for a moment why every single school supply had been boxed up.  I didn't think about the time it took to pack it all, or who did the packing.  I was so thrilled to be there, that I just unpacked boxes, arranged books, wrote names on countless supplies, and didn't even wonder how my cooperating teacher felt about the time away from her room.

Now, many years later, my 10th inservice week is rapidly approaching, and like almost every other educator, I am excited to have the time to put my classroom back together and get ready to start the new year strong.  But, the part about inservice week that excites me the most, time in my classroom, is just a misconception.  It doesn't exist in the quantities that teachers need.  

Most schools and districts start inservice week off with meetings, followed up by more meetings, some trainings, another meeting about the trainings and then some additional trainings.  The little patchwork of time that is left over after everything is scheduled? Maybe eight hours, in total -- if we're lucky? That's our prep. That's our time in the classroom to prepare for the arrival of about 30 students.  

So, teacher friends, I hope inservice week is kind to you this year.  I hope you have time in your classrooms.  I hope you start the new year feeling fresh and invigorated -- and not exhausted from an additional 20 hours over the weekend getting things set up.  Take care of yourself.