First Day of School
Today was the first day of school. Can you believe that? It's so early, and the summer has gone so fast.
Even after all these years of teaching, I'm still always nervous on the first day of school. I'm making a first impression, trying to get students excited about my classes, but also trying to remember to mention all the tedious nuts and bolts stuff they need to know to succeed in my classes. It's the one day of the year that I do most of the talking, and I don't like it. I can't wait for the second day, for the back and forth to begin.
On the first day, each class is a blank slate, and not in a good way. There's no rapport, yet. I almost always manage to create a good rapport with my students, but on the first day it's at zero. They don't get my sense of humor yet. I don't know who among them is funny, who's deep, who's strange in a way I will come to love, who's strange in a way I'll never quite figure out.
And, of course, it's a busy week. In addition to getting our shit together for our teaching gigs, the Old Man and I are getting childcare for Roo nailed down. And we're getting O. ready for kindgergarten. (Kindergarten!)
When all this start-of-school dust settles, I'll be much happier and more comfortable. The routine will begin to feel normal. The rapport will grow. And I'll have a time to tell you all about my recent blogger meet-up with the amazing DoctorMama.
Even after all these years of teaching, I'm still always nervous on the first day of school. I'm making a first impression, trying to get students excited about my classes, but also trying to remember to mention all the tedious nuts and bolts stuff they need to know to succeed in my classes. It's the one day of the year that I do most of the talking, and I don't like it. I can't wait for the second day, for the back and forth to begin.
On the first day, each class is a blank slate, and not in a good way. There's no rapport, yet. I almost always manage to create a good rapport with my students, but on the first day it's at zero. They don't get my sense of humor yet. I don't know who among them is funny, who's deep, who's strange in a way I will come to love, who's strange in a way I'll never quite figure out.
And, of course, it's a busy week. In addition to getting our shit together for our teaching gigs, the Old Man and I are getting childcare for Roo nailed down. And we're getting O. ready for kindgergarten. (Kindergarten!)
When all this start-of-school dust settles, I'll be much happier and more comfortable. The routine will begin to feel normal. The rapport will grow. And I'll have a time to tell you all about my recent blogger meet-up with the amazing DoctorMama.
posted by E. | 8:36 PM
3 Comments:
We only have two weeks left. I'm dreading the first day of school - the confusion, the crankiness, the inability to wake up. (That's me, by the way, not my kids.)
"Today was the first day of school. Can you believe that?"
I can believe it, because my kid's school started LAST WEEK. And yeah, she started kindergarten. She's officially a big kid. What the hell happened here??
Good luck with your childcare arrangements. I'm a bit nervous about mine.
Wow, that is just too dang early to be back at school. I completely know what you mean about the lack of rapport with students the first class day. It's always pretty dead in terms of responses from them. Not looking forward to that...
And how is O in kindergarten already??
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