At the end of June, my lovely wife retired after 25 years as an elementary school teacher.
This was the first summer that she was not back in her kindergarten classroom, setting up her bulletin boards and attending staff meetings, preparing for a new school year.
I appreciate our dedicated teachers to whom we entrust the next generation. They manage to teach our children the curriculum while supporting their emotional and social growth.
Like a good family physician, they support the whole child.
As in medicine, much of the work of these committed professionals happens behind the scenes.
You might think that teachers have short workdays and great holidays, but the hours that most teachers work surpasses the average full-time job of 40 hours over an entire year. Though the kids go home after 3 p.m., teachers remain at school for hours preparing for the next day and continue to do administrative work evenings and weekends.
The change of the season comes with that special back to school vibe — an energetic mixture of excitement and anxiety, joy and trepidation — for teachers, students and their parents.
It's a busy month for all, adjusting to busy schedules and new routines. Traffic is heavier during the first weeks of this month and we all have to be patient, looking out for kids walking to school and slowing down for school zones.
Just as every patient in the hospital has an MRP (Most Responsible Physician) who oversees and directs the care of each patient, almost every family has an MRP (Most Responsible Parent), usually the mother, who reads all the school bulletins, communicates with teachers, knows the schedule inside out and ensures each child is prepared. The LRP (Least Responsible Parent) owes a debt to the MRP.
When my son, Adam, was in kindergarten, I was entrusted to pick up his classmate and drive them to school one morning. Once I parked, the boys raced to be the first in line.
Little kids usually save their order in the line by plunking down their backpacks in a row so they can run off and play. You can see grownups do the same thing at Eileen Dailly Pool before it opens at 6 a.m. (though the seniors go back to their cars to stay warm after saving their spots with their bags).
This time, I was surprised that there was no long row of bags; Adam and his friend were at the front of the line.
Eventually, a grade 4 girl told us that their class had already gone into the school. We were not extra early, but extra late.
While driving my kids to the first evening concert after they had moved to a new school, we were running behind and I said to them, "I came home early from work, Mom had dinner ready and we are late.
"Whose fault is that?"
"Kinda yours, Dad," Ryan answered. "Mom drives to school a different way."
We don't have to be students to learn something new.
So even if you're not a student, a parent of young kids or a teacher, you can still make the most of this special time of the year and get that BTS (Back to School) vibe. Look at your routines and schedules.
Is there something you'd like to change?
You can add more energy and joy to your life by taking up a new sport or learning a new skill. Our community centres have new programs. Interested in joining a new social group or making some healthy changes in your diet? Perhaps you'd like to learn a new language, find more time to do the activities you enjoy or discover unfamiliar parks in your neighbourhood.
This is a great time to set new goals, fine tune your daily schedule and test out new routines.
Enjoy the BTS vibe.
Dr. Davidicus Wong is a Burnaby family physician and has written for Glacier Media since 1991.
