Fabulous First Days

As today marks the first day students go back to school in my district, I  begin my 2nd year as a retired school teacher.  I’m feeling a bit out of sorts this morning, as if there’s somewhere I need to be.  After all, it’s the first day of school; shouldn’t I be in a classroom? While I won’t be building any first day teacher memories today, I can recall so many fabulous first days, and those memories give me something to smile about.

5 things that make fabulous first days:

1. The anticipation of fresh new faces filling my classroom every period. I remember seeing the names on the role sheet was nothing compared to greeting those students as they walked into my classroom on the very first day. My energy and enthusiasm were always high on the first day despite the fact that I ALWAYS had a restless night’s sleep before the students’ first day.  As I started each class by introducing myself and sharing expectations for the year, I’d feel those 1st day jitters melt away.
2. Getting to put those new ideas from summer staff development into use. Summer staff development meant I had time to reflect on ideas, choose the ones that worked best with my curriculum and modify what I learned to match my teaching style.  I looked forward to putting it into practice on the first day.
3. Realizing that my classroom décor was perfect for my students and me.  I was never satisfied with my classroom set up and decorating until it was filled with first period students.  Once the room was filled with students, what I thought wasn’t good enough always turned out to be just right.  I was never really satisfied with what my room looked like until I saw it filled with students.
4. Appreciating that everyone really is on their best behavior on the first day (at least 99% of the time). For the most part, students do show up on the first day hoping to make a good impression.  Middle school students, especially those who have a history of not always making a good impression, know this is the one day they all get to start with a clean slate.
5. Continuing the learning journey with over 100 new scholars. Through some type of get-to-know-you activity, I would get my first glimpse of each student and the learning community we would form.  These fresh starts each year fueled my enthusiasm and started us on our learning path for the year.

I hope everyone had a fabulous first day that built the foundation for a great year!