I've gotten some positive feedback on the logo and title. I'm glad. It seems a lot of people secretly hated my previous background and font colors. And, of course, several strongly suggested that I hurry up and come up with a new title.

I'm pleased that people cared enough to feel those feelings, to tell you the truth.

Anyway, the new logo was to be for my business as a freelance writer. This was before I decided to head back to the classroom full-time, which is a decision I don't regret, as it turns out. I didn't even regret it last week, as we dealt with several extremely difficult problems at school.

Way back in March when I told my friend Renee I was going back, she said she was glad. "You just don't like teaching when you're pregnant," she said. That is so true.

I'm still hoping I can be Word Savvy in the summers, maybe. Or, I'm thinking of getting a job teaching some kind of alternative summer school. Isn't that weird? It would probably be a mistake.

This is has been a hard week, but it's now over.

In the tenth-grade classes, kids researched their new podcast. In the eleventh-grade classes, kids talked about poetic images in Their Eyes. I was stressed about Tea Cake's gambling in Chapter 13, but the boys told me it was fine.

"He won," they said. I suppose that's true. At least someone did.

It's been the longest week already. So far tonight, I've planned a lesson on folklore for my American Lit class. I decided to do that because I was so utterly confused by a scene in Ch. 6 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, and I figured the key to figuring it out had to be related to folklore. Zora Neale Hurston was an anthropologist and folklorist before she became a novelist. Also, there are talking vultures in the scene.

I did find some interesting information about folklore, and I'm reasonably convinced the juniors may enjoy writing some folk narratives tomorrow.

I guess we'll see.

I've also graded three papers. I think my total number of papers to grade is now under 100. I don't know how I'll get them all done, but the only thing I can do is keep trying.

Also, I have a fleece scarf tied on my head.

It's especially fun to be an English teacher when you're reading a book that you really like personally, and that the students don't totally understand on their own.

That way, they NEED you a little bit. And you get to dork out about symbolism and motifs and the beauty of the language.

I'm reading of two of these books right now: Their Eyes Were Watching God and Macbeth. One with American Lit and one with the sophs. This video is about that. Next, I think Rachel should make a video wherein she demonstrates her Shakespeare arm flourishes and talks about the "rhythmic nature of the relationship" between Hermia and Lysander.


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Today I picked up the children and headed to Target because we were out of some necessary items: grocery bags, dishwasher soap, lotion with which to slather our terribly dry Minnesota skin.

By the time we got there, it was 5:00, so I just bought us dinner at the Target Cafe. That's a little gross, but Dan had already told me he'd be pulling an all-nighter at the office. What he said was he'd be home in time to drive Mac to school.

Now, the kids are finally asleep, the house is a disaster, and I collected another set of essays to grade today. So, let's review the current contents of my in-box: 24 more "short" stories, 56 McCarthy compare/contrast essays, and 50 essays about human nature as revealed in The Crucible.

I might as well give up now.

Seriously.

Message to all the parents who so kindly suggested I give more immediate and personalized feedback on their kids' essays: SHUT UP! REALLY! SHUT UP!!!! And also, back off.

The first day back was just fine. The kids seemed pleased to see me and each other.

I showed the 4th hour class the giant stack of papers I graded on my vacation. "I graded this many papers," I said. "Isn't that good? I worked hard on them, and now I'd like some praise and encouragement."

The class went ahead and applauded and cheered. That felt good.

Tomorrow, we'll fly back to Minneapolis, where the high temperature will be eight degrees.

It was nice being in the sun, but I seem to have gotten some kind of rash on my face.

"My face feels funny," I told Dan.

"Yeah," he said, "it actually looks pretty blotchy."

I'm sure the sophs and juniors will enjoy looking at this on Monday. I'm sure I'll enjoy flying back with the boys while Dan flies back alone. I'm sure it will be super easy to get them off the plane, into a cab, and back to my mom's house to pick up our car. Then, it'll be a piece of cake getting them to sleep in our freezing house. Getting up at 5:15 the next morning, feeding them, and driving Shef to school will be a cinch. And then I'll start making a difference once again with the youth of America like it's nothing at all.