Everyday I’m Shuffling

Well, it’s Monday. Before I get into today’s post, let’s recap the weekend:

• I had the opportunity to Get Jessed Up
• I realized that getting older doesn’t mean I have to act like it

This weekend was wonderfully uncluttered. The JA and I didn’t have any football games or weddings to attend, leaving the reunion I had to work Saturday night the lone obligatory event of the weekend. That meant sleeping in late, testing some fun recipes (more on that later this week), lots of football, brunch with a good friend and…grading.

Yes, you read that correctly. I helped the JA with some of his schoolwork. I figure the more I can help him, the more time we have to hang out!

Dating someone in the education field has really opened my eyes to how much time and effort teachers have. One date night early on, the JA and I were watching Life (the filmography is AMAZING – so even if you’re not interested in science it’s still interesting) and he pauses the DVR to jot down the episode so that he could remember to show it in class one day. Yesterday evening, he cut our conversation short so that he could help an alumnus who texted him asking for help.

I’ve been told he’s an excellent teacher both in and out of the classroom. However, even without all the extra stuff he does, the prep, execution, discipline, grading and (obviously) teaching is a lot more than I ever imagined. The teachers who live up to their potential earn every minute of their summers – and even then, most teachers I know still pick up extra jobs during the summer months.

Therefore, on this Monday morning, I am raising my coffee cup to those educators who spend their free extra time bettering the minds of tomorrow and the minds of today. They put in more time than I think any of us realize.

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