Back to school

The semester started up again for Bruce today. I must admit that no matter how bizarre, it is kind of nice to be sending him off to start the first day of a new school year instead of feeling the first day jitters myself. I have always looked forward to the start of a new school year. As a kid I loved going back to school each year. When I entered college, I loved starting a new semester. I felt like I could once again get a fresh start. After college graduation, I anticipated the first day of school as a teacher. It wasn't until I became a teacher that I started to feel the pressure of the first day of school. As a middle school teacher, the first day is the day you set the guidelines, the boundaries, and the expectations. I learned from my first year of teaching that if you don't start out the school year on the right foot - you will struggle with discipline the rest of the year. That first year of teaching was by far the hardest. It didn't help that I was new to the area, and Bruce's grandfather died the day after school started. I ended up missing the first 3 full days of school to attend the funeral. By the time I got back, my chance for setting the kids straight had come and gone. Needless to say, I did much better the next year.
The first couple of weeks of school as a teacher are kind of tricky. When I first began teaching, I spent the first week doing various fun assessments to get to know where the kids were in their skill levels - I did quite a few get to know you games so we could feel comfortable with each other since I highly stressed collaboration. If wasn't until the second full week of school (after labor day), that we seriously got down to business and started something. After that I got smart - I gave a quiz the first day (a fun one mind you), or a word activity and went over expectations. Starting day number 2, I jumped right into the curriculum and we got down to business. I decided that it was much easier to assess what skills the students had and to get them out of their comfort zone by assigning them a project from the get go. Oh, the things you learn as a teacher. However, the point of this post is to mention that this is the first time in 21 years that I have not gone back to school. It's bizarre and kind of strange to not know how long it will be until I step foot in a classroom again. I suppose it won't really be until Eliza starts her first day of kindergarten - in about 5 years. By then, I will probably join the PTA and volunteer to help out as much as possible in the classroom. I can't see myself staying away from school for long - it is just too much a part of me. Forget about playing with dolls and toys as a child. When I was young, I played school. I assigned my sister and cousins homework when we played. I practiced writing letters on my chalkboard. I even asked for an overhead projector for Christmas one year. For some reason, I love school, and I have mixed feelings about not teaching this year. Although teaching is challenging - it is also loads of fun. I find myself missing the socialization of school.
However, I am extremely grateful for the opportuity I have to be a mother right now. That's really all I want to do. I know that the teaching I do in my own home is far more important than the teaching I do in any classroom. So good luck to all those who are going back to school.

And just because she is so cute....


I can't believe she is 6 weeks old already!