The School Year Comes to a Close

This week is (finally) our last week of school.  As much as I’m eager to start my summer vacation – later nights, more reading and writing, no real schedule, fireflies, bar b ques, s’amores, a trip to Ireland, and more time to just contemplate the world – the transition to summer is always a little bit hard for me.

I like having a schedule.

I like being busy and love knowing that the work I’m doing every day is meaningful.

I love being around kids.

I love my school family.

I even like planning lessons, coaching sessions, and professional development.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love my summers (and really can’t imagine working a job that only allowed for two or three weeks of down time). It’s just that I know I will feel a sense of loss as the school year winds to a close.

The truth is I’ll probably post something similar in August when we are heading back to school.  Then I will be mourning the end of a relaxing and wonderful summer.

Ahhh….The cycle of life!

Taking a Short Break

I’ve been taking a short break.

I haven’t stopped writing, but I’ve decided to take a few weeks off from publishing. I’m finding that the pressure to make my writing public once a week has actually been making my writing worse.  Instead of exploring, revising, rethinking, and writing with  honesty, I’ve been looking for topics and ideas that might make for a good post.  I’m not sure this is the best way for me to grow as a writer right now.

So I’m taking a short break.

I’m trying to write on a regular basis in my notebook. I’m trying to write with honesty and depth without worrying about going public.  I’m getting messy.  I’m doing some feral writing (as Ralph Fletcher has encouraged).  I’m trying to write without the worry of what others might think or say.  It’s been quite freeing.

I’ll be back, but right now I’m taking a break.