The readiness is almost

A sure sign that summer is over: academic secretaries have returned to the building. Now the big question on everyone's lips is "Are you ready?" And the big answer is "Ready for what?"

I am ready for the first day of classes (but not the second or third). I am ready to submit my syllabi to the online syllabus depot, but the syllabus depot is not ready for me. I am ready to submit my electronic portfolio to the teaching prize judges, but nobody seems to know when the deadline is. I am ready to meet with the new faculty members and answer a whole mess of questions, and I am ready to respond to any problems my advisees might encounter.

I am not ready to adjust to a new teaching and meeting schedule. I'm not ready to remember to pack my lunch regularly, and I'm not even close to ready to dress professionally every single day. My teaching wardrobe needs a serious upgrade and I am not ready to spend the time or the money required.

I am not ready to start working out at the rec center instead of taking long morning walks in the hills with my dog. I am not ready to give evening and weekend hours to campus events, but I'm working on being ready to invite students out to my house for some nature time.

I am not ready to submit the text of a conference paper to the conference web site in mid-September; in fact, I'm barely ready to start writing the paper. I am really really not ready to distribute my fall workshop schedule to the faculty next week. I am not ready to adjust to the cut in my pay caused by the fact that I'm not teaching an overload or a learning community this fall (for the first time in I don't remember how long).

But I am ready to teach. Eager, even. And that, after all, is why I'm here.