Happy Tuesday, folks. Hope your first Tuesday in September was a good one. For those of us going back to the classroom, or with kids going back to school, remember: deep breaths. 

I am in serious denial that summer is, for all intense and purposes, over. I mean, last Tuesday I was with my kids on a lake. No point even trying to pretend I was near a computer or thinking about a syllabus. 

It’s hard to focus on classes when was nearly 90 degrees today. 

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The first two weeks back on campus are always hectic, but I'm looking forward to meeting my students. I’m just trying to be more mindful and about where I put my time, making sure I don’t let anything slip through the cracks. 

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Because classes start tomorrow, I plan on taking advantage of writing when my students write. I did this during the last academic year, and though I didn't think much of it at the time, writing when my students wrote contributed to my focus. Most of my writing prompts last about 10 minutes. Since I'm teaching four classes, I have the potential to write at least two days a week, four times a day. Who knows how many drafts I'll get, but it's good practice for me, and good for my students to see me grind it out with them.

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This afternoon, I was in a department meeting and I found myself writing a poem in my head. I didn't write it down but it took me six hours to remember the lines. Honestly, I'm surprised I could recall anything these days. 

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Current reads:

Copia, by Erika Meitner

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins