There’s always been a myth about teachers having it easier than other professions due to a prolonged “summer break.” Truth is, teachers’ summer “breaks” are spent prepping, working, and learning how to better mold and shape the young minds who look to them for guidance.
In other words, true time off is rare during the summer for teachers, and any opportunity for them to take their mind off work is a welcome change.
South Shore Line (SSL) understands this notion, and also understands that soon teachers are going back to six, seven months of whole-hearted dedication to their jobs and the students who rely on them to prepare them for the future; which is why the SSL decided to give teachers a true break by offering them a free ride on the train.
The opportunity allows teachers to take advantage of South Shore Line’s services and spend a day in Northwest Indiana, South Bend, and even Chicago, relaxed, knowing that a reliable and free ride without the hassles of driving or parking and/or paying to park awaits them.
One such teacher, Molly Molloy Joll, decided to take advantage of this opportunity and spend a much-needed day in Chicago with her husband, also an educator in Chesterton.
“It was very cool of the South Shore Line to do this,” said Joll. “We had planned on going to Chicago to spend the day there but when we heard we could ride for free we knew it’s something we wanted to do.”
A day in the city was just what was needed, adds Joll, right before the rigors and daily stress of educating Region youth begins.
“It’s especially nice that the South Shore Line is doing this right before school begins. It’s nice to have that one last hurrah in Chicago before going back to work.”
In the rewarding, but stressful nature of the teaching industry, any little thing someone can do to help make a life a little easier for our educators is invaluable, and Joll says this token of appreciation from the South Shore Line is just one of the many reasons her and her husband have been taking the train for their trips to Chicago over the years.
“We have always tried to take the train whenever we can to Chicago, but this is something that we really want to take the South Shore Line for doing. It’s a very nice thing of them to do for us teachers. It was super easy to do all we had to do was show our school id's and we were good to go.”
The free rides for teacher promotion runs now through Sunday August 7 and is valid during off-peak weekday trips and all weekend rides. For more information, visit here.
