Selected responses to my question: what external factors correlate to your teaching satisfaction? (Or dis-, as was my particular situation.)

• Benjamin Baxter: Music
  

  For example, if I’ve had a good day, I’ll listen to Gordon Goodwin, Dr. Demento, classic rock or Richard Nixon’s speeches. If I’ve had a bad day, I’ll listen to Sammy Davis, Jr., Cake, The Decemberists or Alexi Murdoch.

• TMAO: Blog Output
  

  I think I got a negative correlation thing going. The rougher things get, the more virtual ink gets spilled.

• Sarah Cannon: Time Spent On Phone
  

  The worse the day, the longer I need to debrief and the more likely I am to call a friend to distract me from planning the next day.

• Stephen Humphrey: Family Time
  

  And the great thing is it’s a leading indicator by about six months; if I’m reducing my hours at home, I can know that my job satisfaction is going to be in the gutter in half-a-year—plenty of time to fix it now that I recognize the indicator and look for it.

• Jackie B: Interpersonal Communication
  

  If I’m joking in the math workroom or with kids in the hall or after school, things are going well. If they aren’t going as well as I’d like, I’m brooding.

• Dina Strasser: Unspeakable, Frankly
  

  And now I will drown some kittens. Excuse me.