You know it's REALLY bad when...

... your MOTHER emails you to ask what's up with not blogging for so long!

Yes. I am a stinker. I know. And it's not that I don't want to be interacting and communicating and whatnot... I just... I tinky!

Right now all of my mental energy is gushing into end-of-year reviews and revisions and plans for next year. What do my current students need to do to highlight their capabilities? How can I make things run more smoothly next year? How can I push my students even farther?

I really hope I don't come across as arrogant or snide or rude, but that's where I need to be right now. Maybe in a few days I'll be able to write more about the process, but it's been hard to think of what to write when I'm in the middle of it. Does that make sense?

Tonight was freshman orientation, and I had a LOT of students talk to me about Journalism. I'm ... uncertain. If I have lots of students sign up for the class, how will I decide who can be in it, especially when I don't know them? The administration could approve new sections, but that would mean teaching fewer sections of English, and I don't know that I want to move toward teaching only Journalism.

I'm not that good at it.

And what about literature circles? and sharing good books? Could I get away with demanding SSR in Journalism? Could we feast on words from Billy Collins and Mary Oliver as well as Mike Royko?

I'm reluctant to let that go. I'm excited and stressed (the book is supposed to ship next week) and hopeful and my nerves are ALL A-JANGLE!

It's a good life. :)

Image thanks to http://miisfocus.com/submissions/form/