Today I waved goodbye to my office, a purely symbolic act since I'll need to be on campus many times this summer to attend meetings and manage events, but sometimes a symbolic gesture is just what I need. I finished grading student projects today and turned in final grades and then I walked out the door and shut it tight.
Yesterday's grading pile was made up of hand-written exams and in-class essays dense with tiny, crabbed handwriting; today's grading pile was all online documents, presentations, and portfolios. Both types of grading left my eyes begging for mercy, my vision so blurred that I struggled to read my list at the grocery store and couldn't read signs on the drive home. Good thing I knew where I was going!
But where shall I go tomorrow? I need to attend Commencement on Saturday and two big events on campus next week, but tomorrow's schedule is entirely blank. My husband suggested that I visit a friend, but I've fulfilled my quota of peopling for the week and I think I'd prefer to be alone--but where? Someplace quiet and peaceful and far from the madding crowd. Long walk in the woods? Deep dive into a good book? Or something else entirely?
The sense of possibility is what I like best about summer break. No need to punch the clock or put on teaching clothes or prep for classes--just long hours that somehow manage to pass without a lot of fuss and bother.
Goodbye, office! (Until next week.)
2 comments:
Well... I celebrated by spending 3 hours going through email that had piled up while I was grading... Long walks in the woods and deep dives into good books sound way more appealing!
And that's exactly what I did. Today I'm off to Commencement, to watch my senior capstone students commence their journeys.
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