Vacation time’s coming to a close, but I’m still hanging onto the idea that I’m on vacation. For better or worse, though, ’till something does us part, I’ll always be an educator. And this vacation time has done nothing but solidify my teacher mentality.

I knew I was a certified teacher when …

– I saw kids on the train fighting / not holding the bars / making too much noise / chewing their gum like they’re horses / annoying me and wanted to give them detention for it (haha, jokes)

– I explain things to people like I’m teaching them, even teachers.

– I can make a quick-n-dirty lesson plan out of the simple things like using a camera or drinking bubble tea.

– I explain to a prospective teacher the pros and cons of teaching using a Venn diagram in my mind.

– I can attach some songs on my playlist to a memory I have in my classroom.

– I walk around and look at a poster thinking, “I can really use that for my classroom.”

– I still read teacher blogs … on vacation!

– I wake up on the first few days of vacation ready to jump out of bed with a suit and tie when I realize I can sleep just a little longer.

– I identified myself by my profession than any race or ethnicity markers (whoa)

– I still enjoy the surprised looks when I tell people what I work for.

– I can’t go a Tuesday without blogging about education …

When did you know you were a teacher if you are one? Even those that aren’t, do you have any experiences like that?

jose, who doesn’t think his latest graphic novel purchases V for Vendetta and The Watchmen are appropriate for my students …