Like me, you felt it this past Friday and Saturday.
Some of you, like me, were energized by it and liked the feeling.
Others of you dreaded it. But we all noticed it.
The change of seasons was in the air last weekend. Temperatures in the sixties during the day and low fifties at night felt downright chilly. It felt like fall. It felt great.
Don't get me wrong, I like summer and have appreciated the beautiful weather we have enjoyed the last few months. There's nothing better than summer in Minnesota, some people say. Except maybe fall in Minnesota, I say.
I like pretty much everything about the fall season and look forward to its arrival every year.
More comfortable temperatures, the start of football season, the colors, the whole works.
Of course, it's the start of another new school year that I'm anticipating the most.
Sure, as a teacher, I do appreciate my summer schedule that has more freedom and down time.
While I think most people realize that most teachers don't really take "all summer off" from school work, there is no doubt I don't have to go to work every day in the summer and that's great.
But I think many non-teachers don't realize the best part of summer break, at least in my opinion.
It's not the days off or sleeping in. It's not vacation trips or even extra time with family and friends, although all that is wonderful.
For me, at least, the best part of summer break is actually the going back to school in the fall.
Or to be clear, the being ready to go back to school is what I appreciate most about having a summer break.
In the next week or two, students, teachers, support staff and administrators get a fresh start. An exciting new beginning.
Many of us who were tired, grumpy and stressed out a couple months ago will be refreshed and excited to tackle another year.
Soon I'll experience my 32nd first day of school, either as a public school student, college student or teacher, and my 11th in Adrian.
Once again I'll be just as excited as I was the year before. I'll have a hard time getting to sleep the night before and I'll get up extra early that morning.
In many ways, it's like starting my career all over again every year. A fresh start filled with new opportunities. I will fix mistakes from last year and try new things for the first time.
Of course, students and parents also get the chance to push the reset button this fall. New classes, new clothes, different teachers and maybe some new friends. Perhaps a new attitude toward learning or a fresh effort at practice. No matter what, new opportunities are everywhere.
For that, I think we can all be thankful. Honestly, I can't imagine having a career that didn't include this natural reset opportunity each year. It's one of the best parts of being a teacher and I don't take it for granted.
So, next time you find yourself saying, “it must be nice to have summers off” to a teacher, you might consider what really is nice about our profession's most famous perk. To me, at least, the best part of summer break is being able to be excited to go back to school in the fall.
I have to be honest, though. The sleeping in is a pretty close second.