End of semester

Why is it that we teachers look forward to the end of the semester with so much glee? I love teaching, and I enjoy most of my students. But somehow, when the end of the semester comes, I can't wait for it to be over. Of course I look forward to the beginning of a new semester as well. Teaching is very cyclical. Like the seasons, it has a beginning and end. More definitive than seasons, which often take their time getting started, getting warmer especially. But there is an ebb and flow that is comforting, that feels natural. Semesters have a beginning, and an end--both of which I look forward to. So by next week the spring semester will end. Some students will be happy, some disappointed, and a few probably discouraged. But there is a new semester waiting, and with it another opportunity to learn, to achieve, to make new friends, to succeed--both for the students and for us teachers.