Back to School

Today was my first day back. Yesterday, I couldn't let myself contemplate the fact that it was the last of these halcyon days with the little one. But then, this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to recognize in myself a certain excitement about the start of a new school year. After having been in school as student or teacher for all these years, I think my spirit has harmonized to the rhythms of the academic calendar, particularly the fresh beginning of each fall, marked by fresh, crisp, clean books and pristine, neatly labeled binders.

Unfortunately, however, today wasn't about the courses I'm psyched to teach, or the wonderful students I can't wait to see; it was a faculty retreat which contained a diluted few drops of useful/interesting information. I could feel the excitement leaving my body. But temporarily, temporarily.

All of this made me think about how I don't want the first day of class to be all about attendance policies and grading procedures; I want it to be about the excitement that brings us to school at all. I'm relieved to find that I want to go back to school, and in the next few days, I want to think about why, and somehow incorporate that energy into the first meetings of my classes. If this job is worth being separated from my little girl (and we vote with our feet, right?), then surely I can get students to think it's worth taking the headphones off, signing out of Facebook, etc. Hmmm.