The first day of school. Tomorrow is a day that I have wanted and waited for for a long time! I am so excited to get started (I think I over planned because I am so excited to get moving into the school year). :-) However, that is by far not all that I am feeling. I am finding myself feeling nervous. I want the school year to be perfect. I know all of you veteran teachers are laughing as I say that, but a teacher can dream can't she? :-)
My classroom is set up just the way I wanted. It is organized and perfect in my mind. I have planned and spent a lot of time thinking about what is most important to me to get across to the kids on day one. I know that I want a classroom community where each member respects one another and puts their best efforts forward everyday. I want my kids to know that I care about each of them individually and that I want to see them succeed. This week is filled with plans on how we can learn to grow as a community of learners together. We are learning how to make goals for ourselves and then we are going to make those goals. Even I am going to sit down with the kids and make my own personal goals for the school year. I want the kids to see that I think it is so important to make goals and modeling it is the best way for them to see it.
I said that I want the school year to be perfect. It will be the perfect "first" year for me. I am excited to welcome 27 students tomorrow morning at my classroom door. I am also super nervous to welcome 27 students tomorrow morning at my classroom door. That is a lot of young minds to encourage to grow and learn. Can I do that? I know that I can. I have before in all of my long term subbing experiences, but there is a part of me that wonders. This time, it is the "real deal." It is my classroom and there are no safe outs. I am 100% responsible (I always viewed it that way when subbing, but now it is really true)! Pressure!
I am sure that on the last day of the school year, I will re-read this post and think how silly I was for being so worried. After all, in 9 months, I will have completed the school year, my kids will have grown (in learning and height) and I will be ready to start thinking about year two and how to improve even more. To all of my new students (and teacher friends), I hope you are as excited and nervous as I am tonight, because I think that the right combination of the two equals the perfect start to a perfect school year.
Happy first day of school to many of my teacher friends. You will all have a perfect start to the year tomorrow because you have all prepared well and I am sure are a little bit nervous to start all over again this year!
Thinking of you, have a great first day!! And all the days that go after it, the rough ones and the golden ones, they'll all be worth it.
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