Last summer, as a new school year approached, I was feeling pretty good. I had spent a great deal of time preparing myself, my classroom and my plan book for a group of little third graders. This was my second year of teaching, and I hoped to avoid the drowning sensation that had been my companion throughout the previous year. Thus, I spent my summer working hard, preparing for year two, and a new grade level. I was ready...I thought.
No really! In reality, I was prepared. My subconscious however, did not agree. As the first day of school drew nearer, I began to have vivid dreams about that day. In many of them, the principal appeared at my door part way through the first morning with more students. I had not planned for these extras and I did not have enough desks! Of course, while this is a somewhat plausible scenario, the dreams always included a hint of the ridiculous...not only did I not have enough desks, but those I did have were inexplicably smashed together in the center of the room without pattern (nightmare!) and some of my “third graders” were actually random adults from my life. In one dream, the extra students were dragged into my classroom by their earlobes. The principal explained that they’d spent a part of the morning in the office for bad behavior on the bus, but they were my problem now. In another, I poured myself a bowl of cereal to eat in the car on the way to the first student day. I set the bowl down on the seat of my car while I placed my purse and school bag in the back. I came back around and then sat in the cereal.
Actually, that last one wasn’t a dream. My first day as a third grade teacher did not involve missing desks or the appearance of unexpected and rambunctious children. It did however, involve a change of pants before leaving for school. Having the parent packets printed since June and the cute student name tags already placed on the desks didn’t prevent me from sitting in my cereal on the first day of school. At the time, my husband also worked for the schools and we often drove together. After cleaning up both myself and the car seat as best I could, I sat in the back seat as he drove us to work. And oddly enough, I don't remember what I actually ended up eating for breakfast that day.
They say life happens and we all know that that’s certainly true. I say that teacher life really happens. I don’t have anything introspective or heart-warming to say as I reflect on my sat-in-cereal-bowl-on-first-day-of-school experience. I just hope that it helps calm whatever nerves you might be feeling about your approaching first day back (or maybe first day ever!). You surely will not do anything as stupid as that.
In the coming weeks, I hope to share some encouragement and some tips for the start of a new school year. Hopefully this first post alerts you to the fact that I don't have it all together. I won’t be suggesting that you can tie your teacher life up in a bow with ten simple steps. Even if you’re not a klutz like me, teacher life is messy and it’s hard. But I've got heart and a faith in One who has given this teacher an abundance of hope to share. My goal is to bring a little positivity into your crazy teacher day and to give you permission to step back and breathe.
During the school year, I will post a couple of times a week with encouragement and reminders about what’s most important in our lives and in our job. Just some things my (and maybe your) teacher heart needs to hear. Our new school year will start whether we’ve got fresh pants or not, so let’s take a deep breath and get ready to begin.
