Even though I won't be headed back to school this year, there are certain things I will be sad to miss.
Most of my teacher friends think I'm nuts, but there is a certain charm and magic about the beginning of a school year.
1. It's clean!
If you've never worked in a school, one of the things you wouldn't know is just how dirty those buildings get during the year. Imagine nine months of dust collecting under the lip of your bookshelves. Ick.
2. New supplies.
There truly is nothing like a new notebook. It's not creased, the spiral is still pristine, it doesn't have 30 games of MASH on the inside, the cover is still a little slippery...the only thing that tops it is a new collection of freshly sharpened #2 pencils.
3. New class lists.
For a "specials" teacher like myself, we don't always (or often) have the benefit of a fresh batch students each year. But there is something about the mixing and matching of "old" students to create "new" classes that can transform children.
4. New shoes.
In my house, the start of a new school year meant a trip to Buster Brown, where you were fitted for shoes by an Actual Shoe Salesman. He had that funny gadget that measured your feet, I'm pretty sure there were balloons (or was it candy?) on the way out, and even though those shiny new shoes hurt like nobody's business for the first week, you could rest assured that they'd last you the whole year--whether you like it or not.
5. New attitudes.
I can tell you from a teacher's perspective that there is a really good reason why (most) schools aren't in session during the summer. It is truly rejuvenating to have that many weeks away from the three Rs--and from children to whom you did not give birth.
And you? Share your favorite memory of going back to school!
2 comments:
A newly buffed school hallway, a sense of expectation that there will be something wonderful happening, as a school year begins. Energized teachers, full of summer adventures and new ideas. First day of school new outfits and orderly book bags. How clean the desks are- devoid of lost assignments, and candy wrappers, pencil shavings and graffiti. Clean. The smell of a clean fresh school. Clean fresh kids. And clean fresh teachers. New beginnings.
There's nothing like it. Except clean fresh babies.
Oh, new class lists, yay! I agree! Every year my seventh and eighth grade orchestra is a new group of combined grades, and it's so exciting to anticipate what each ensemble's strengths will be.
And new music! Sightreading! What fun.
I, too, will be missing my darling students next week! But way, way, WAY happier to be home with my baby girl.
Let me know when you're ready for visitors...Alice and I will come up and we can distract each other from missing our students.
Gotcha on my Bloglines list...can't wait for Baby Rose to arrive!
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