I was on campus for a couple of hours the other day, and bumped into one of my students in the library. Then, in the hallway, I saw another one of my students. It was so nice to see both of them and hear how their semester is going.
In the short time I was in the music building, I also bumped into my chair and another colleague in the hallway. Both of them said some variation of: "I don't see you right now! You're on sabbatical!"
When I got home, I was positively giddy from all the human contact. One thing is for sure: being on sabbatical can make you feel a little isolated. It is truly an opportunity to retreat from seeing the usual faces in the usual places, and to break out of normal routines. This creates "white space" where creativity and renewal can happen.
The word "sabbatical" comes from the Latin sabbaticus,which means "of the Sabbath." It makes sense, then, that a sabbatical happens every seven years, just as the Sabbath occurs every seven days.
But the fact is: the best part about teaching is the students. And the colleagues are pretty great too. Yes, I'm getting a break from all the committees, and from Faculty Senate, and from teaching, but the main part of that I really miss is the teaching.
Here are a few photos of my students.