First Day of School

There is nothing like the first day of school!  I now teach at college, but I still get the first day of school butterflies each semester.  It is not because I doubt that I will be able to teach the courses I am assigned-- they are pretty much the same from semester to semester.  It is that each class is different, and I am excited to meet the new members of my classes.  The chemistry they create makes each class different from the last time I taught the course even when the course material is basically the same.

      The beginning of school means many different things.  Hopefully, for all of our students it means a fresh start.  With each new year, we have the chance to start over.  For some of our students, I am afraid that their reputations may precede them.  This may mean that the fresh start they hope for may begin somewhat wilted.  However, I tried to avoid reading permanent record comments and listen to last year's teacher comments until I had a time to meet the students and form my own opinion.  I hope you will do the same thing for your students.  What are some of the other things that would prevent a student from being given a fresh start?  How can we as teachers overcome those obstacles?

Another thing I love about the first day of school is new school supplies.  Actually this is one of the first years I have not bought new crayons during this week. 

    There is something about those sharp points and that smell that just says, "It is time to begin a new year."  Just as those crayons are bright and sharp, I like to think that each of my students will be bright and sharp.  Just as I can create a multitude of different pictures with this one box of crayons, the group of students who come to me will create a variety of stories.  They will need to use all the colors in the box to tell those stories.  Some will use the brilliant yellows, oranges and greens.  Others will need to mix in some more somber browns, grays, and darker hues.  However, their stories are not yet complete.  We, as teachers have the opportunity to add color to their stories.  I hope that we are all looking forward to adding bright colors and highlights that will show off the students' strengths rather than their weaknesses.  What a tremendous gift to be able to add value to a student's story.  What things can you do to add to the story of a student?

     When my middle son first started to school, he left somewhat anxious about what to expect.  However when the day was over, he expressed, "I am so 'cited about school."  It was my desire as a parent and my desire now as a teacher to keep that kind of "citement" alive. It is a huge task.  The reward for doing it though is more than huge.