Teacher Off Duty

Summer Hours

Rare sighting of a teacher out past 10 P.M.

I thought I had another one in me. About one hundred beautiful moments happened during graduation— along with a tragedy or two, and I had selected four of them to write about. As I reflected on the train ride home I had this glow of joy about me, and I knew if I wrote about these memories they’d stick with me even longer. I resolved to make a final post about graduation this past weekend.

And then that thing that happens every year happened. Summer started. And the idea of sitting down in front of a screen and typing anything vanished faster than an ice cream cone on a 95 degree day. It’s a miracle I’ve made it this far in the post already.

So if you’re new around here, just know I take my summers off fairly seriously. If I feel like writing I will, but for the most part all Wednesday posts will be reposts of articles I’ve written in the past. I think one of the ways I get excited to teach again is by making sure I don’t engage much with instruction or thinking about instruction.

The other way is by learning. Life is much more fun when you’re on the receiving end of excellent teachers. I’m already in Cali, Colombia, and I plan on stuffing as much private salsa and Spanish lessons into my life as possible. Turns out, if you save enough to manage to buy the ticket and Airbnb, the teacher salary ain’t a half bad way to live in Colombia.

I know I owe Ruth Poulsen a serious reflection on what went well and what didn’t from an instructional standpoint, so a reflection will likely come around at some point before next school year. Also, I do plan on eventually fleshing out some stories from graduation as well. They’re to good to sleep on.

But in the meantime, a couple of these pictures will have to do. While you look at them, make sure you have the proper sound track playing through your head… because

SCHOOOOOOOLLLLL’S OUT! FOR! SUMMER!!!

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*4 years ago, I read Kevin Kelly’s article, “1000 True Fans.” The gist of it goes like this. Create a following of people who become fans of what you do. Be so damn good at what you do that people want to give you money so you continue doing it.

Here’s what I do. I teach, and I write stories about it.

If you’re in the position where you don’t mind becoming a paid subscriber, I hope you consider it… though if your initial reaction to that is, “fuck off, I’m just here to read,” then rock on.

Fit To Teach is free to all.

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