To do is to be. -Socrates

To be is to do. -Jean-Paul Sartre

Do-be-do-be-do. –Frank Sinatra

Here is my regular view at work. Course tree, student curriculum, and a lot more on screen. The computer and cubicle await my return after break, on Monday.

My students call me Mrs. O.K. The mug is awesome.

If I turn my head, I’ll see what replaces a to-do list in my cubicle: the To-Do Pile. Textbook teacher’s manual, student work waiting to be graded, file folder and sticky note instructions, and more.

The Dreaded To-Do Pile

Later in the day, I turned to reach for something in the pile, only to find out it had grown while I wasn’t looking!

Where did this second textbook come from?

In case you’re thinking “That’s not very big, Daisy” let me remind you that the majority of work I grade comes in online. This is only a tiny fraction of my workload. Some of my students worked during their break, too, so I know there will be tests, quizzes, and essays awaiting my virtual pen.

I think I like the first view better. At least that view includes coffee. Happy New Year to all, and may your to-do lists and piles be reasonable.