Now, if you are a fellow teacher, you are shaking your head in agreement, raising your hands in a "Praise Jesus", and taking a long swig of your evening drink. However, if you are not a teacher, or do not work in an elementary school, you may be thinking..."Come on....it was Valentine's Day! The day designated for hearts, cute babies in diapers causing nothing but love and happiness, candy, flowers, and cuddly teddy bears...WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG????
EVERYTHING PEOPLE!!!!! EVERYTHING!!!!
First of all...
Every year, without fail, Valentine's Day is DISAPPOINTING!
The children come in with their decorated bags and boxes and their carefully chosen valentines expecting MAGICAL things to happen! Why wouldn't they? Every commercial they have seen on television shows happy people smiling and laughing. Everyone is hugging and giving and receiving fancy expensive gifts. The stores have been decorated for months...the aisles overflowing with delicious looking candies and cakes and treats! What they have seen on television is what they expect to happen when they get to school.
Music should play.
Confetti should fall from the sky.
Expensive, beautifully wrapped packages should be placed at every seat, and treats upon treats should be set up in the classrooms like the fanciest buffet you have ever seen!
CRASH! BANG! BOOM! SMASH! SCREEECH!
Welcome to what we teachers call...reality. I wish with all my heart that I could give my students all these things. I wish I could give all students EVERYWHERE all these things...HECK...I wish I could have even a few of these things...but it is reality.
Every year, without fail, Valentine's Day is STRESSFUL!
There is always confusion...Who didn't bring a box? Who doesn't have valentines to pass out? Who brought valentines with candy attached even though the school policy strictly says no edible treats? Who brought valentines to pass out, but only eighteen, and we have twenty-four students in the class? Who needs help passing out their valentines because mom wrote the names in cursive on the cards and the child can't read them? Who needs the arm glued back onto his 3 foot tall robot valentine box because it fell off and his "mom said she doesn't want his robot ruined at school?"
Every year without fail, Valentine's Day CAUSES TEARS!
What could cause tears at a first grade Valentine's Day Celebration you may ask? Oh, well let me give you the short version...Teacher: "Why are you crying?"
1. (While passing out valentines) "I don't want to give away this Batman valentine. It is my favorite."
2. (While opening valentines) "Why did you give me a Barbie valentine? I don't like Barbies."
3. (While opening valentines) "This one doesn't have a name on it and now I don't know who it's from."
4. (While opening valentines) "I don't think I got one from __________." (How they could ever make this claim with the mess of valentines, envelopes and treats spread out in front of them I will never know!)
5. (After opening valentines) "I lost the valentine ___________ gave me." (Again...how could they even tell????)
Every year without fail, Valentine's Day leaves me thinking...
I can't wait to hear all about your Valentine's Day adventures this year! Leave your comments below!
