Coming to a Close

ArtJane via Pixabay

A very unusual fall semester is drawing to a close. I'm ready, and so are my students (I know. I asked them). As always, there are things I'm looking forward to.

Not setting an alarm. 
Putting writing first. 
Tackling my organizing projects.
Reading whatever I want.
No schoolwork on Sundays.

There are a couple of things I'm not going to miss as well, most notably the constant, nagging feeling that I'm supposed to be doing something besides the thing I'm doing. Oh, and teaching through a mask. 

But, believe it or not, there are a couple of things I will miss. The street in front of the college is lined with beautiful old trees, whose colors are enough to brighten even rainy days like today. The fountain at the center of campus is one of my favorite spots, and never fails to make me smile.

What I will miss most of all, of course, is my students. It's been a long semester, but we've gotten through it together. None of us has had the fall semester experience we were hoping for, but we've adjusted and we've even had some fun along the way.

I'm not sure what next semester will bring, but I expect it will be quite similar to this one. I'll be better at this whole hybrid thing (I hope), so I'm optimistic that things will go more smoothly. I'll have a new crop of students, and it will take time to get to know them as well as I know this group, but that's part of the fun. 

Luckily, I'll have some time to get ready. And a crop of former students who've helped me figure out how it's done.