Student X: ***says something unintelligible*** Me: Can you explain that? Student X: You're the teacher. Me: Yes, thanks for clarifying that. 10 minutes later while I am explaining something to the class... Me: ***rambling about something*** Student Y: Ms. Aren't you the teacher? Me: Yes, I believe X pointed that out to us earlier. Student Y: Just checking. I was trying to figure out why X was talking right now...if YOU'RE the teacher.

The school year is about to begin again, and I am anxiously awaiting the morning when I will meet my new students and embark upon the journey that will end with a trip to Portugal and Spain next June. I've been sorting through chaos. Preparing a classroom. Negotiating terms for a new part time writing job I've accepted. Sorting through dreams. Excavating some dark corners of my soul. I'll share here in the coming days some of the thoughts I've had, but I still have some articles to touch up and send in, a set of lesson plans to put together, and some incidentals that need to be attended to before I slip between the sheets. A few hours ago, I stood on my porch and watched my dogs romp in the front yard. I think it's impossible to watch the bliss that exudes from their hops and quick chases. The smile that quickly spread across my face reminded me again that life is beautiful.

I have a confession. I am not a English teacher. I had this epiphany last week during a training I attended to prepare for the courses I will be teaching next year. The workshop was filled with real English teachers. The ones you remember from high school, with their favorite books and deep insights into the writer's meaning of punctuation marks and interpretations of sentence structures. They all love a good story--as long as it's filled with the appropriate rising action, climax, and resolution. That's not me. I know that many writers just like punctuation marks because they can separate ideas. I've also learned that sometimes the best stories on the planet would show a flat line on a rising action graph. The better ones often have no resolution. Just a vast empty space waiting to be filled with a dream. Teaching English is one of those things that I can do well because...well...I can just do a lot of things sufficiently. It's one of my gifts. But it doesn't f...