Friday, August 14, 2009

Dipping the Toes Again

I didn't intend to take the summer off from writing here-it just happened. It's been an...odd...summer. I can't put my finger on why, but it's probably just the whole growing older thing.

Young Epic headed back to school today, and that's always a poignant time. I let him take a library book on cd, and I'm not the least bit worried about getting it back. I'll just let Athena know he has it, and it needs to be returned. Ah, the power of knowing the girl friend! His room feels really empty even though he only took his chair this time. And Epic Dog is positively mopey.

"Empty Nest" is an apt term. I find myself wandering into his room and aimlessly moving things around. It has become much easier over the years, and, from experience with Eldest Epic Son, I know that once he is settled into his adult life, I'll move beyond this feeling.

Teachers head back to school on Monday, and I don't feel ready. I'm uploading files to my SchoolWeb site in an attempt to go paperless. That's probably part of my whole malaise this summer. This is a huge change, and there is an underlying sense of trepidation-change is never easy for me.

2 comments:

Kathleen... said...

Wanted to get back to you about the Picoult book. That was a disturbing read for me. I kept wondering about your HS'ers reading the same....honestly? I wish they'd never made us read 'A Separate Peace' in HS. It disturbed me so at the time...I couldn't process it at that [im]maturity level. And I was one of those literary chicks!

I rather feel the same way about 'Nineteen Minutes' and HS kids. Just my opinion. They've got enough confusion about things they don't understand...they don't need the darkness of that book to compound anything.

Happy reacquainting yourself w/your desk....paperless? Hey, if you can do it, best to you! I'm so stuck in the 20th century...with my PostIts and highlighters....=)

Epic_Life said...

AnO-thanks for getting back to me. I agree with your assessment of the book. Not many students pick it up to read, but those who do say that they love it. I would never teach it, but it, as is most of my classroom library, was donated by a parent. I didn't read it until a couple of students read it and proclaimed it a "must read."

I do have a SERIOUS problem with the idea that there are SIXTH GRADE teachers who make it available to students. I'm not in favor of censorship-but I am in favor of common sense!