When I took German in college, way back in 1976 and 1977, that phrase "Thank God it's Friday" was the first thing we learned, which I think is funny. The prof wanted to break the ice with us, I suppose.
Sometimes I refer to that class to my own college classes. While our prof was very good, he tended to keep teaching after the designated end of the class. He wanted to finish his point, but the rest of us were putting our books away so we could get to the next class. I tell my own students about this, because I always end class on time, knowing that any more teaching that I'll do past "quitting time" won't be heard.
Sometimes I also refer to another college course, which I liked a lot less. It met three days a week in the mid-afternoon (3 to 4, I think), and that Friday afternoon class was hard to get to. Motivation to learn was low, so close to the school week's end. I grumbled that the prof took attendance, but now I see that the prof was smart to do that. Otherwise, since the course wasn't so compelling, the students might skip the Friday class.
Writing all this makes me look forward to teaching. The semester starts a month from today. Usually I have a period during the summer when I'm happy not to be teaching so that I've more time for other projects, but then by August I look forward to the semester again. This summer, though, I've consistently looked forward to the fall semester.
I've quoted this passage on this blog before. It's from Gloria Durka, The Teacher's Calling: A Spirituality for Those Who Teach (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2002), page 57, emphasis in text:
"Everything we do as teachers has moral implications. Through dialogue, modeling, practice and the assignment of best motive, a caring teacher nurtures the ethical idea. What we reflect to our students contributes to the enhancement of that ideal if we meet our students as they are and find something admirable in them. As a result of this confirmation, our students may find the strength to become even more admirable. We leave them with an image that is lovelier than the one they had of themselves. We do not need to establish a deep, lasting, time-consuming personal relationship with every student. What we must do is to be present to each student as she or he addresses us.
"In sum, to teach morally, we need to care."
In just a month, I'll be happy to meet a new group of students! Only one of my courses meets on Friday---and in the morning, "Gott sei Dank"!
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