“On a crisp November evening, I sat huddled in blankets at my kitchen table, clutching a cup of steaming coffee. Stacks of paper covered every inch of the oak tabletop—I was drowning in a sea of essays, tests, and data. Eyes burning from twelve hours of intense concentration on a screen, I squinted at the comment I had just written. Did it accurately sum up this student’s progress? Which student was I writing about again?

My scruffy Australian shepherd mix pressed his wet nose against my elbow, nudging me out of my stupor. He shot me his most pitiful look, pleading for me to stop for a walk. I sighed defeatedly, “I can’t right now, Odin.”