And It's Time For the Transition: Grading, Writing, Presenting, Planning, and Putting Teaching Aside For a Month or Two

Sometimes it feels as if we inhale in January, take a deep breath, and hope nobody loses an eye by May. On top of faculty responsibilities of committee work, advising, running professional development, interviewing for the summer institute, collaborating with local schools, reviewing proposals, editing the work of others, working on my own work, and household things, I also teach. Teaching is at the heart of what I love doing...

...and saying, "That's a wrap," is always difficult, especially when you know the final projects - end of the semester work - is on the plates of your students and you sit back and await their arrival.

My goal since the beginning of the semester was to get to the first week of May semi-sane and I'm almost there. Last night, I spent five hours grading to catch up on other work, before the big projects begin arriving (some have already stopped by my email box).

I can say, however, that I don't have to plan for any classes next week (which means keeping up the reading, figuring out the 2.5 hour blocks of time will work, and organizing materials to be discussed). Now, it's on them.

On me? Oh, lots. Up first, getting to the 379 emails in my inbox I read, but haven't had a chance to work on...this is the life I've chosen for myself.

In the meantime, a group hug of the young philosophers of 2016 on the last day of class. I snapped the photograph, but I'm ready for the end-of-the-semester hugs, too.

In the meantime, back to grading.