I hardly feel like myself. The school year is just about over --I have graded 50 projects and 20 final essay exams, recorded grades and written comments for 70 students, counted and stored books, rescued my new $1000 worth of maps that the custodial staff didn't see them in quite the same light that I do, moved boxes and boxes from my work space to my car to my basement, had a couple of meetings to try to incorporate some new assignments into my life, and worked on the placement of 8th graders into honors classes (or not) for next year. I have one more set of meetings tomorrow, as we work to clarify the writing expectations for our social studies students, and then I am officially FINISHED with the school year.
Of course, unofficially I'm finished with nothing. I have two students who have taken Incompletes, so there will be some make-up communications over the summer. I have piles of books and reams of paper to organize. I have my own children to keep track of (even though they are all, as they have informed me repeatedly, Responsible and Consenting Adults). I have a sermon to finish preparing for next Sunday. I have to help get our church's Adult Education program into place for next fall. I have a week-long graduate course in July. I have my own reading and photography lists. With any luck, The Great Driveway Project will at least be underway by the time school starts up again. And I've aleady begun preparing next year's classes -- I'm printing a 15-page day-by-day calendar for one of next year's classes as I write.
But my pace has been transformed, from Frantic to one of Utter Leisure. I can't believe how much TIME I suddenly have at my disposal. I have so many hopes for doing my own writing this summer -- and why not? In just one afternoon I've picked up the entire first floor of the house, something I hadn't been able to get to for weeks. I've been out to survey my garden, and I'm going off to buy some fun reading material. I'm even going to pay some bills more or less on time.
Of course, there's no food in the house. . . but that's what take-out is for!
11 comments:
I have to go take a nap now. Reading this wore me out. Savor that "leisure" time.
Whew! How do you do it? I would have fallen flat on my face with exhaustion.
Tami
Golly... Take a breather! You're making us all look bad! I swear, you're not human, you're a machine!
Best,
Judith
http://journals.aol.com/jtuwliens/MirrorMirrorontheWall
Hmm.... I think your utter leisure would still qualify as frantic for me. You must be incredibly focused and organized to manage everything you do.
enjoy it! teachers deserve every free moment they get : ) I hope your summer is productive & relaxing....
You tick off this list of a million things you are going to be doing, and then talk about how much leisure time you have! You are just a little whirlwind, aren't you? Lisa :-]
Wow... linked to your journal from the Mitford site (reprinted the Danforth article--YES!) & decided to explore--I'm a 7th grade social studies teacher, too, and your entry is like reading my own journal. Except here in Arizona we finished a month ago. Been reading voraciously (including Oprah's Summer of Faulkner--highly recommend it and the guides on her website) and re-organizing 35 years of photo albums--pulling the photos out of those ghastly "magnetic" sticky pages (almost done!). Taking time to look out at the birdbath a lot and occasionally joining the cat on the saltillo floor (104 degrees today). Will start back on school work next week. My end-of-the-year committee was revision of our Student-Led Conferences and we each took on a summer piece; I hope I can recollect what I was thinking when I get back to it.... I hope you get some writing done (:
That doesn't sound at all like you are slowing down!!! Goodness gracious woman, take a break :-) Pamela
I'm glad you can feel time expanding in your life. Best wishes on your sermon preparation! Is this the first time you have preached on Sunday at your church?
I felt exhausted just reading this!!
Enjoy. With 8 snowdays this year, I am still at it.
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