Did I Really Need That Pit Stop to Finish the Race?

It's cruel and unusual punishment to make us continue on with the school year after Memorial Day. Now, I've never actually taught in a district that ended school before Memorial Day, so I'm not an expert on what's better or anything. (Although...when I was a kid we never had school after Memorial Day.) I just know that it's hard to take a blissful, long-awaited three-day weekend and then have to come back to eight lousy days of school.

And on the first day back, I had to listen to student presentations all day. Some of them are sadly mediocre. My students all seem to be interested in war, beauty, and immortality. Interesting thing to ponder...

And, by the way, these presentations are of projects I will need to grade within the next eight days.

And also on this day back from a relaxing weekend, I hosted the yearbook release party...in the cafeteria...where there is apparently no air conditioning. I'm all limp and melted-looking--an attractive look for a professional.

And rather than soaking in a nice bubble bath after this long day, I have to go torture teach my night school students, but thankfully I only have them once this week. They've been terribly mean the last few weeks, and I don't like them much.

It might seem like today was the roughest day in the next eight, but it's not. They are all filled with many unpleasant, yet necessary tasks of my job.

Some might say that the three-day weekend was an good place to refuel before the end of the year. I'm thinking of some analogy where race car drivers have to decide if it's wise to take a pit before the race is over or if they can finish the race with the fuel they have. And you know, if I'm thinking of Nascar analogies, I might be losing my mind, and that little holiday weekend didn't really refresh me. It simply teased me with something I cannot have...yet.