September 12, 2024

As I sit here outside higher ed, I remember how relatively quiet the end of September and early October could be. Faculty could generally teach, unencumbered by changing class rosters or administrative demands. In fact, that calm reached a lot of staff, sitting in a 5-6 week period before Spring enrollment started. I really wanted to capture the beauty of this time with a villanelle (to me the most beautiful poetic form) but the events of Georgia reminded me that there is no real calm in education. This becomes my anthem for higher education and secondary education teachers combined.

September

That's enough now, please allow us to teach.

Race for enrollment has been said and done.

We've lies to dismantle and walls to breach.

No more reminders, no more "go-team" speech,

Or in-services made up to look fun.

That's enough now, please allow us to teach.

All the lost souls that advising could reach

Added to the classes that we'd still run.

We've lies to dismantle and walls to breach.

There's not enough textbooks to sell to each,

But still projection for Spring has begun.

That's enough now, please allow us to teach.

If you think teaching's a day at the beach

With students unprepared on day one,

We've lies to dismantle and walls to breach.

While brainwashing is the danger you preach,

For us we still fear the guy with the gun.

That's enough now, please allow us to teach.

We've lies to dismantle and walls to breach.