Overdue

 Starting a new semester can be a challenge. Though most of the material is familiar, most of the students are not. Even when there are familiar faces, there are still a lot of names to learn and, occasionally (like this semester, for example), I've made content or textbook changes extensive enough to leave me feeling as though I'm (barely) one step ahead of my students. My schedule may or may not be the same as it was last semester (it isn't) and, even when it is, it doesn't coincide with the waking and sleeping patterns that come naturally to me when I have time off between semesters.

Is this terrible? Not by a long shot. I love the flexibility of my job and the freedom I have to change a daily lesson or even a textbook. I enjoy what I teach and am excited to share it all with my students.

But that's where I run into trouble. 

Sort of.

The week before classes started, I got a notice that my library books were due. Fortunately, I was able to renew them and avoid getting to the point where they moved from due to overdue.

Little did I know that would be the theme of the next two weeks.

Getting adjusted to new students, new approaches, and the myriad details that accompany the start of a new semester means that more than library books meet this fate. It also happens with laundry, household projects...

And blog posts. 

I used to think I'd hit a magical point of experience where this transition would smooth out; only recently have I accepted the fact that that train is not on any track in sight. 

Consequently, I've made some adjustments. I've learned to start my prep earlier than I think I need to. I've learned to prioritize the projects on my overly optimistic to-do lists, focusing my precious end-of-break time on the ones that will bring me the most peace of mind. I've learned that, most days, I'll run out of day (or energy) long before I get to everything I hoped to do and, because of that, some tasks will move from due to overdue.

Like this blog post. 

I've learned to set practical guidelines for myself, like "no laundry on Wednesdays unless it's an emergency" because Wednesdays are my office hour days and therefore the days on which it's most likely that things will not go according to plan. And, on those days, when I get home, I'm not up for facing a load of wet clothes in the washing machine.

Even when things go smoothly, a transition can still feel like a bumpy ride. And, on bumpy rides, things get jostled, and maybe even fall out of the vehicle, especially if we've overpacked it in the first place. And, when that happens, all that's left to do is pick them up, dust them off, and take care of them.

Even if they're overdue.