I find it so helpful to read the bloggings of Not a Folk Singer. She has such a funny attitude about teaching and its pitfalls. It helps me very much to think of professional/social obligations the way she does... And to realize that grading student work is often a bane for most teachers. What is it about sitting down to a stack of papers that feels so utterly annoying? I do, in fact, want to help my students become better writers. I do, in fact, really like being a teacher. And when I get into the act of actually correcting the work and recording the grades, it's not such a big deal. But the thought of all that lies ahead makes me want to crawl under the covers.

The physical demands of being on my feet most of the day are starting to really get to me, too. I read an article on the ASCD web site about how some teachers want to do away with the whole idea of having a teacher desk, and that really gets me quaking. I don't sit at my desk during classes, but I do need to hold all my stuff, not to mention my computer/printer.

I suppose the physical thing would be less troubling if I could lose some weight. But one of the patterns I notice is that right around now, after a month of school, I start feeling so tired and depleted at the end of the day and then the end of the week that I just want to eat what I want and not pay attention to how much or if the nutritive quality is all that high. I know it's a self-defeating set-up. But eating willy-nilly sometimes feels the only truly nice thing I can do for myself. Being hungry and feeling restricted does not feel good at these times.

Sigh. It's finally cooling down here and that is a wonderful, wonderful thing. The kids are starting to grow on me. I'm beginning to understand the rhythm of this particular grade level, and I really like my co-teachers. So many things are aligned that would point to a general sense of well-being and satisfaction.

And then I look at the dining room table where the packet of papers and quizzes sit. And I read another blog.