Round 2...

Spring Break: defined by most college students as the time of year to escape the dismal weather of Ohio to frolic among the STD infested beaches of Mexico/Florida/some place warm with a beach and alcohol. For those that partake in this binge drinking fiesta many good times and many bad times can occur or at least come up a month later when a random person texts you with an embarrassing video (not talking from experience there, but some buddies of mine will never visit some parts of Florida again)

Yes, I have been out of college for two or so years now, but as an educator I do still get the lovely vacation time known as Spring Break. Spring Break '09!!!!!!! Now I do not pack up a car of frat guys and speed down to the beaches at the age of 25. For one, married and the Wife might get a little angry. Two, newborn sitting at home dependent upon on said Wife and I am the helping hand around the house to keep the chaos down to a minimum. Third, my body is probably not capable of handling the large amounts of all day drinking. Now I am not saying, that SB activities are wrong or people should not enjoy themselves. It is just too much for my current lifestyle. For others this is no problem. "Exhibit A" - I work with one gentleman at my serving job that is bent on going on SB every year. Even after seven years after he dropped out of college and about to turn 31, he and his buddies grease each other up in tanning oil and pack up a car to hit up some crazy beach in search of girls about ten years younger than themselves. Every year he returns with stories of the "almost" arrests and how much he drank himself stupid. One year they accidentally left someone behind that was in jail over night (Both parties upset, the vacationers had to return to get him a week later when he was released... of course partying some more when they got back down there) Once again, my body would shut down at some point with the amount of mind altering substances this person consumes on his Spring Breaks.

Spring Break as a teacher. SB has become a time to spend time to do as little teacher stuff as possible and to dodge as many students in public as you can. I have little trouble doing that now with the inner city job, but for the grad student days and substituting, I could not walk in a mall or grocery store near my house without hearing, "MR. M, MR. M, MR. M" It almost became a running joke with the Wife whether or not a student would recognize me.

This is my point. Life as a teacher = Life in the community. You are always going to run into someone you have either had in class or taught at some point in your career. Spring Break is that time away from school to make sure teachers like myself do not go insane teaching day in and day out. Yes, I have accepted the fact if I end up taking a vacation to some beach in the near future I may run into a student, and if possible I hope to not be intoxicated from the many margaritas I may consume with my Wife at said beach. Plain and simple you have to watch yourself. My actions could hurt my career and/or embarrass my family. Or, in the case of one teacher I met today that was on SB like myself, you could embarrass the students. (He was at a local strip club last night for his younger brother's b-day and just happen to run into a student... as she was taking the stage)

Words of Wisdom: Ladies and Gentleman... if you become an educator, avoid the strip clubs. Not only could you run into parents, you could run in to students and get to know them on a level you do not.