The Shakedown Cruise

"It's the Shakedown Cruise," he said, as if I knew what that meant.
Amazingly, he's still asking the "How was work today?" question even though my answer is about an hour long these days with an occasional pause for breathing. You see, year 18 in the classroom is feeling awfully similar to year 1 in the classroom. iPads have changing everything, or at least it feels like it.
His response: "It's the Shakedown Cruise."
Apparently, every new airplane (or boat) gets a Shakedown Cruise - a test run, a beta lap - actually, a series of them - to work out the kinks before it's smooth sailing (or flying). He suggested that I allow myself one too, that perhaps this whole year would be a bit of a Shakedown Cruise. That's not good news to a Type A, but perhaps good advice.
And so, I refer myself back to my motto for the year (posted above my SMART Board): "We are all learners; we are all teachers."
I'm as much of a learner this year as a teacher. Case in point: one of my freshman (thanks A) taught me the following today: 1) how to allow students to follow my blog 2) a new idea about turning in student work  3) notice that google released a blogger app today.
I'll survive the Shakedown Cruise, I think, with a little help from my copilots.