The Home Stretch

I explained this idiom to my students on Friday. It's crazy how many expressions we use that come from baseball. Naturally they weren't impressed. Why do Americans care so much about baseball? I'm not sure, I said. Because it's fun? Clearly none of my students are Japanese.

Tomorrow starts the last week of classes. I am a bit scared. I have a lot to do to finish my responsibilities, and then in a flash it will be over... and I will be gone. I will be home for 2 days, and before I know it my cat and I will be back to our grad school routine, with a new school year. No more TMH, no more insane job (well, back to the original one) no more big city. It's a little hard to believe.

I am ending on a very good note, however. Last week there were some very positive developments. First of all, I met with my boss to review her observation of me. It was so shocking- she thanked me! Several times. She acknowledged how hard it must have been for me as a first-timer to be in that situation with the students' department, university politics, etc. She said she normally would not have put a new teacher in that situation but she knew I could handle it because of my "real-life" job. And then she thanked me again! She said I could come back and work anytime. I was SO surprised. People say she never says anything nice. I don't know what it was or how to explain her seemingly generous mood... but even though it was a small thing it meant the world to me for her to acknowledge what I went through. I am not crazy.. and I was not overreacting (too much ;) Yay!

Of course I may never want to speak to her again... but having options is nice. I also have a research idea that has to do with a new policy at this university. AND she even asked if she could contact me for my expertise in the future, about said policy. UM, yes. So, like I said, I may never come back. After the summer I had, who could blame me? But at the same time, I may get a dissertation out of this. I have to think it through... but options are good.

I also found out that at least two of my students nominated me for the excellence in teaching award (awards are given on Friday, at the farewell luncheon). I was so touched and pleased to know it, especially given what I went through with this class. One of them sent me what was probably the nicest email I have ever received from a student. Of course I don't care about the award, but it means a lot to know that I was successful with at least a few of them. Yay!

So I am hoping this good news will help me keep my chin up this week. I already cried a couple of times today, thinking about how this was my last weekend here with TMH. He brought me flowers today, which was so sweet of him. I said I would be back all the time, and he said "I'm pretty sure you'll be back once a month." Ouch. We both know I have to go back, though. I have to get this grad school thing done. In any case, it has been a great experience, both personally and professionally, and I know I have much to continue to learn from it. I have a feeling that this little branch of my life, this direction I took for 8 weeks, may end up having a much bigger impact in the future.

For now the future is Monday morning, and it is approaching all too rapidly. Time to get to bed.