There are three stages to Back to School. Stage One, “Backish,” begins tomorrow. I have professional development from 7:30 to 2:30 tomorrow and Tuesday, but it’s not required and, in fact, I’m getting paid for it. If I decide I’m bored and I want to cut out halfway through (and it’s PD, so this is a virtual guarantee) nothing bad happens other than I don’t get paid for all of the time unless I can figure out a way to fake it. I will very likely be at school at least two days out of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, working in my classroom. I will be on my own schedule and not getting paid.

I will also probably spend a lot of money on school shit this week, unfortunately. The week of Backish is often one of the most expensive of the year.

(Money burning a hole in your pocket? Feeling generous? My teacher wish list is here; all of that is for classroom use.)

The second stage of Back to School is “Back.” That happens next week; ie, a week from tomorrow. I have three days of required PD, I have to take sick days if I’m not there, and there are orientations on Tuesday and Wednesday and I expect both to be 11- or 12-hour days. I will not spend a lot of money during Back but I will be tired as hell.

The third stage of Back to School is “Back-back,” sometimes italicized, as “Back-back,” and that happens Thursday, when the kids return to class. I do like that I only have kids two days during the first week back. I’m less happy with the road trip we have planned for the following weekend, but that’s how the timing worked out.

So. Yeah. We’re backish. We’re not back, and we’re not back-back (see?), but we’re backish.

Year 20, motherfuckers.