The big problem with coming back after Autumn break is that you’ve lost all rhythm to your work. The problem is made worse when you’ve had an October with lots of starts and stops. The problem is even worser when you’re only back for one day after a long break.

It’s as if your vacation has suddenly been interrupted by someone calling you back to work for an emergency.

I complicated it by  adding a new part-time job. This isn’t usually that big of a problem except this job has me walking in the door at 11:35 p.m. That left me feeling somewhere between “spritely” and “zombie” (with more slant toward zombie). I wasn’t that tired and I didn’t get cranky but I wasn’t 100%.

Luckily, neither were my students. They seemed surprised to be back (and they have class tomorrow) and were, at best 50%.

They got work done, but my last class, which featured a role play about the two partners meeting in 2035 for the first time in 20 years, was treated as optional by a few groups of students. I pointed out that it was not actually optional but it didn’t have my usual force, even when I suggested a couple students keep their textbooks because they’d need them next year when they repeated the class.

(Note: the school where I work will allow high school students to fail and force them to repeat the year or transfer to a new school.)

I quietly gave zeroes, which is unusual as zeroes usually arrive with force and noise, and I’m not sure the students who got zeroes fully appreciated that they were getting zeroes.

This means that next class about five pairs will have to perform their role plays or get zeroes for a second day in a row. I hope I can be louder next time, but we’ll see. The next class is on a Wednesday, which is the day after my part time job so I have my doubts about how high my energy level will be, at least until I get used to the new class rhythm.

Or, if things go horribly off kilter, I may only give zeroes for people who wake me up during class.