Walking Out

I have always been amazed by those teachers who never carry a bag to and from school. Many days I walk in behind someone either leaving or arriving at school with nothing.

Not a single bag.

For most of my teaching years I have carried two bags:  my computer bag and my school bag. My computer bag, obviously, has my computer. My school bag at any given time may contain the current book I'm reading, the book I'm reading next, my notebook, a folder with the current unit or the unit I am revising, PD books to help plan those units, papers/tests to grade, my pencil/pen pouch, current projects, my standards binder, my student reading tracking binder, my mentor text binder, and/or my teacher notebook.

I am always afraid that I will not have something I need when I need it. I am always working on several different things at one time - usually something current and something in the near future. But many nights I take the bag home, and nothing comes out. I don't even open it.

But I still need that safety net...just in case.

Two nights this week I stayed late at school to watch our volleyball teams play. Both nights I left after 8:00, and both nights I decided to not take anything home. Not even my computer.

And do you know what? The world didn't stop spinning. I didn't stay up late thinking I was forgetting something. I didn't get up the next morning worrying that I didn't get something done.

I survived, and I felt so light the next day walking in with those other bagless teachers.

After all these years, I learned how teachers do it.

They just walk out. I can't say this will happen every day, but at least I know I can do it!

Photo by Elliott Stallion on Unsplash