I headed to my room and rummaged through my drawers to find one of my swimsuits for work. After checking my closet, I settled on my favorite TYR suit, a relatively new one in a rich dark purple hue. It featured an almost entirely open back, perfect for the water and for competitions and other swim-related activities.

Opening my bag, I took a look at its contents. My lesson plans were neatly written on foam squares. I had discovered early in my teaching career that you could write with ...