Lions’ Lair – “Mental Health Days”

Spring Break was fun, but did anyone else find it incredibly hard to get back into the groove of school? Homework was not on my to-do list that week. It”s funny how quickly a person can become accustomed to a restful schedule. Getting back, it became apparent how much we all actually do without noticing the workload we carry. It was nice to have that breather.
Periodic

ally I debate whether some teachers realize that we are taking six other classes besides their own. God bless the people that give their lesson plan within the allotted time that we specifically set-aside just for them. Then there is always that one class that we don”t do much of anything in. We”re not really sure why there is nothing to do, the teacher seems awfully busy most of the time, but there is rarely a specific activity that requires a student”s attention. Of course this absence of work doesn”t really pose a threat to our health. It is actually the saving grace period of the day, giving us time to finish homework, create a masterpiece for art class, or take a nap before a big test.
These idle intervals that break-up our day are also very good for student morale. I don”t know if anyone has noticed how hostile a simple classroom can get when it is filled with a bunch of hormonal teenagers that have not had more than four hours of sleep in the past two days. All of the sudden it is realized that the girl sitting next to you is not fixing her make-up, she is putting on war paint and is about to go fight the biggest child in the school she can find. Meanwhile, in the back of the room, the guys are rallying together and chanting in preparation of proclaiming a new world order. On days like these, our lucky teachers have learned to take out a big bag of popcorn and enjoy the show. It cannot be verified, but there seems to be money to be won if you know who to bet on in times like these. (Yes, we know you were wondering about where we got all that money for that last shopping spree.)
I wonder if our parents humorously kick us off to school when they see a bad day like that on the horizon. I”m sure that they notice the flames licking around our eyes when they say “How about I drop you off early this morning,” knowing that they can rid their home of the beast when he is drowsy and off guard.
Like anyone, we just get tired. Nobody has intentions of causing a problem, however convincing our display of destruction might be. How many times have we uttered the phrase “I want to go home?” Hey, we warned you. There should be a new category for excused absences, filed under “Needs Vacation.”