That’s how many days of High School are left. There’s still finals, and graduation, and all the accompanying hoopla, but only 12 days of classes. I think I am as excited for the year to be over as my students. I keep thinking of all the things I have let slip while maintaining the schedule of Grad School and High School. I haven’t picked up the guitar since last August. My posting here slacked off to once or twice a month. I haven’t built even a tenth of the additions to the website that I have planned out in my head (and now I have the itch to redesign the whole thing again!). I haven’t really had the time to read much of anything outside schoolwork or stuff that pertains to my thesis. So yes, I am just as happy as summer to get here as my students are.

It was a bit of a surprise how time consuming teaching turned out to be. I have been told that it becomes less intensive in the second year, which makes sense assuming that the same courses are being taught, but I was unprepared for what was going to be required of me just to be prepared for class. Add in the time required to grade 150+ essays two or more times a month (50 graded yesterday, 100 more in the cue for the rest of the weekend) and it would be an understatement to say that my expectations were naive.

Regardless, I discovered I really enjoy the time spent inside the classroom. Sure, there are times where the kids drive me nuts (just as, I am sure, there are times when I drive them nuts), but at the end of the day, I actually feel pretty good about myself and what I am doing. And that’s a sentiment I haven’t had about a job in a very, very long time. I think I’ll even miss it a little next year, as I am going to be going to grad school full time to finish the Masters in one fell swoop. At least now I know I have yet another employment option when I finish the degree.

And that is what I look for most in almost all my decisions… options. The ability to always have a choice, and the courage to take responsibility for those choices… that, I think, is the key to happiness. Or, rather, it is the key to my happiness. The key to your happiness may well be a seven layer burrito for I know. I can’t help you there, unfortunately. You’ll have to figure it out for yourself.

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On the turntable: Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveler, Velvet Revolver, Prince