I'm having one of those sustained awarenesses of how happy I am to be teaching this year. It is just such an enjoyable challenge to figure out how to best get students to improve their writing and reading and speaking. I really enjoy it. I feel like my ego is being gratified in some teacherly way. The kids are funny and endearing, even when they're annoying, and it feels like I am part of their world to help them figure some stuff out, or at least to be a calming presence while they go through their inevitable pre-adolescent shenanigans.

Plus Back-to-School Night at my daughter's groovy, progressive high school. Man, what an excellent situation that is.

It's a wonderful world.