Back to school ...

So, school is starting again, and almost all of us are either students, parents, teachers, or know someone who is in one of these groups.  Everyone knows it's been a politically charged summer.  Speaking as a teacher, this has been really, really hard.  Teaching is an odd profession.  It's very intense, and when the students are on their way out the door, that's when we shift to certification courses, summer projects, summer classes, and professional development activities.  It's a profession where you have a lot of control, but in other ways, you are swept along by the job.  Nothing happens without you conceiving, initiating, and responding, but effort to "steer the bus" is always required, whether it's grading a set of papers, or figuring out how (and when!) you will meet state requirements.

This is a unique time to be a teacher.  I think most teachers, myself included, have recently spent a lot of time thinking about what we do and why we do it.   Teaching is such a busy, fast paced job that it's easy to give all your time to the "what" and the "when."  This summer has been about the "why."

So, after all is said and done, and the calendar clicks on, that time comes around again.  It's time for the students to come back!  I, for one, am very ready for the students to return.  There's always a spirit of optimism at the start of a semester.  New faces, new ideas, a chance to improve what you did last time... No one gets into teaching to argue politics or be swept along by political trends.  We do it for the students, and the chance to touch lives.  And, after a long summer, I'm very happy that the spirit of optimism is the same as it's always been.  That's one thing that really doesn't change.  The excitement is still there!

Why is it the same?  Why hasn't the intense political debates tainted the experience of being a teacher?  Because the interaction is still the same.  It's still you and your students.  It's still a chance to make things better, to touch and improve lives, to prepare the future labor force, and to stimulate those who will go on in school.  It's still a challege to find ways to reach those who don't want to be reached, and to live up to the high standards of the students who want everything you have to offer in the classroom.

We can still do what we signed on to do.  And, that's a wonderful, wonderful thing.