FOR EDUCATORS: August--The Eternal Sunday Night

As my friend Janis has said, "August is the eternal sunday night for educators." She's right: as I was in school today to stamp books as part of my department head duties, I realized that I am at about 7:30 in this drawn-out, metaphoric evening, feeling ambivalent about the return, looking forward to and dreading it all simultaneously.

At times, I find myself longing for the structure of the school day. At other times, I wonder what the hell I am doing in this profession. In moments of true appreciation for the craft of teaching, I can't wait to try out a new idea. In moments of reality, I hate the thought of the paper load and the oftentimes insanity that we have to deal on a daily basis.

So as I sit here at 7:30 in the educator's Sunday night, I wonder what the new school year will bring. What new responsibility will "they" put on us? What kinds of student success and problems will I have to deal with? What lunatic control-freak colleague will resort to his/her own version of on-the-job terror? Will I ever get a grip on the paper load, or am I just dreaming? For now, I think it's important to revel in what remains of summer because who knows what's coming to a classroom near you.