The end of the spring semester

Well, I received my students' final portfolios and projects today, so it's officially the end of my Spring 2006 semester. Now I have grading to finish by the weekend. The end of the semester always makes me sad. Usually I feel as though it's time for the semester to end - I'm tired; the students are tired - but I also feel like there's more we could accomplish. I also always have students and classes that I will miss a great deal. I'm still learning how to teach, and I don't think I'll ever quite have it "figured out," but I do love being in the classroom. It amazes me that my mom talked for almost 4 decades. I suppose I could accomplish the same feat, but she taught elementary school, which I think poses far more significant daily challenges. My job is easy compared with hers.

Now that I've been in Ohio for a year, I can say that I made the best choice possible last year by leaving MOC. As much as I enjoyed the students and people there, I could not see a long-term career at that school for a variety of reasons. I *can* forsee being where I am for the rest of my career.

Oh, I don't want to babble too much about teaching, and as I type I smell cigarette smoke, which must be drifting into my house through one of my open windows as no one in this house smokes. Or perhaps it's a smoking ghost? There's a title for a Web site: The Smoking Ghost (a la the Smoking Gun).