The Countdown

So, my little one has just had his first birthday and my maternity leave has drawn to a close. I have just four days left before I walk back into the classroom and begin it all again. For the remainder of this year I will be working three days a week - one day in Year 5/6 and Year 4, one day in Year 3 and one day in Kindergarten or relief teaching.

People have been asking me how I feel about going back to work - whether I think I will cry, whether I'm ready, or whether I'm keen to get back into it. I'd have to say that I have mixed feelings. I'm pretty sure I'll cry, but I'm looking forward to seeing all 'my' other kids again, and I do think I've reached a point where I feel ready.

I have been very fortunate to have enough maternity leave, annual leave and long service leave to have seen me through a whole year at half-pay. It has been a luxury that I've taken full advantage of. I've enjoyed spending time with my son - going for walks to the park, swimming at the pool, meeting up with other mums and bubs, visiting the library, playing with toys, rolling around in the backyard having a wrestle... It has been a pure delight to watch him change from a teeny-tiny baby reliant on me for EVERYTHING to an active, playful little boy with a mind (and will!) of his own. And while we probably won't be able to enjoy such a leisurely pace in the future, we will still enjoy many special moments together.

I look forward to getting back to work in time to see my Year 4s from 2009 as they graduate to high school. I look forward to catching up with my Year 1/2s and seeing how much they've grown and changed in the last year. I look forward to the mental challenge of teaching and the companionship of other teachers. My passion for teaching is as strong as ever - it has just been dormant for the past year!!

So, am I ready? I think so. I've ticked off most of my to-do-before-I-go-back-to-work list. Now it's just a matter of doing what I can to take the pressure off the first week - things like cooking up a batch of baby casserole to freeze, packing a baby bag for babysitters, and trying to get the place looking pretty clean and tidy.

I'd like to say that I'll let you know how it goes, but I think I will be a bit preoccupied for the first few weeks. We'll see...