The End is Here

As much as I didn't think it'd start until next week, I'm really feeling like I'm at the end of my summer. Tomorrow morning I go in for an hour to the district office to sit on a pannel for the new teacher orientation. Basically I get to field questions about the consulting teacher program (like mentor teachers). I get paid, so that's good, but it really means I have to start thinking about the beginning of the school year, which I'd rather not do. Since I'll already be in work-mode, I'm going to go back into my classroom after that and hopefully get the rest of my cleaning stuff taken care of so that when I go in next week I can just focus on curriculum.

I have enjoyed my summer so much, its going to be hard to go back this fall. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, but I've really loved not working 60 hours a week and actually having a life (I know, I'm weird). I've also really enjoyed having the staff-type relationships with students again thru the High School group at church, and I think one of the reasons I'm sad about going back to school is that I have to go back to a teacher-type relationship which has a bit more of an adversarial component to it. It also means I can't go into the spiritual with the students and can't share the most important part of my life with them.

So many thoughts and feelings running around right now, I can't really get them all down because I'm not even sure what they are. I know once I get back into school it won't be that bad and I'll get back into the swing of things, but right now I guess I'm just morning the loss of having a life.

I really need to try to work less this year. One of my professional goals is to leave work by 6pm and only work 1 weekend a month (hopefully none by the end of the year). I have to get my life back!