How is it that July meanders yet August sprints?

 

At the end of the school year teachers everywhere take a deep breath and exhale happily as they view the empty boxes on the calendar. The stretch of uncommitted time seems expansive. How will we fill it? Yet somehow we do. We read, write, visit.  We paint, we sew, we travel. As soon as we begin to slip into the rhythm of the season, we realize that it’s almost over.

 

As summer winds down thoughts of the new school year begin to seep in. What have I done to improve my craft? Who are my new students and how will I reach them? What do they need? What do they want? Determining the former often requires addressing the latter. Teachers must be mind readers, disciplinarians, confidants and cheerleaders. In order to give fully of ourselves we need time to relax and recharge.

 

One of the most extraordinary aspects of teaching is the ability to have an impact on someone’s life. It is also the most daunting. You may never know when or how you touched a student. After nine years of teaching I am certain that I have touched a couple of student’s lives. I believe I may have touched a few more. My hope that I have had an impact on many others. That is the aspiration of teachers of all subjects and disciplines.  We teach to touch the future.

 

To all the teachers preparing for a new semester or season, whether you teach math or movement, science or art, I hope you had a restorative summer. I hope that you nourished your body and mind. I hope you are ready to inspire the next group of students.