New School Year

I'm sitting home, alone, about 6:30 and its the night before school starts. Steve and the Boys are at their various scouting activities. I am pondering what I should wear on the first day of school. I just got nails done and I have a new hair cut. The boys are also prepared for the first day of school with their school supplies, new clothes, shoes, SOCKS and haircuts. Tyler is unusually ornery about school starting. I cant decide if it is scary for him, being in the middle school for the first time, or if he just doesn't plain want to go. Nathan is really the only one that is so excited. I'm sure that tomorrow he will rethink his excitement when he realizes that a first graders day is MUCH longer than a Kindergartners. I have spent the past month planning and preparing for this upcoming school year. I have spent countless hours cleaning, throwing away, packing, moving, unpacking, organizing and decorating my new classroom. I have spent the past few weeks really delving into our new "Core" reading program. I'm excited about it. I'm excited about teaching Second Grade. I feel very confident. I think that I will have a really great class this year. I have about 5 of my first graders and a few kids that I know from church or the fire department. I am confident it will be better than last year. But, in the back of my mind I keep wondering, "What am I forgetting?" and "Why am I so confident?" I really am looking forward to teaching kids that can actually function in a classroom, from day 1. I had a tough time with first grade up until January. Then, I enjoyed it. So, I keep thinking to myself that these kids really are just the same kids that I saw just a few months ago. We will start where we left off. I realize that I will need to teach expectations and procedures but the second graders will get it. I feel to over confident in this philosophy. I'm wondering if I'm in for a big shock come 9 am. Really, kids are kids! 6,7 or 8 they still need to be taught to behave and need to be taught how to learn.

Now, I have to get back into a real routine. Bed at a reasonable time. Wake up at a not so reasonable time, 6:30 :} get the boys up, fed, clean and happy for each new day. Now the homework and piano practice begins again. I guess I should begin cooking dinner again. Man, having the summer off has been a dream! I really do love my job. I love teaching and seeing kid "get it" Building trust and a relationship with each child is my favorite part. I try to see the good in each of them. Yesterday I had a teacher ask me about a child that I taught last year. He was an especially difficult child. I had a hard time explaining to her exactly WHY he was so tough. I wanted to tell her all the great things about him. They all really do have potential. I hope that my own kids teachers feel this way about Tyler, Austin, Luke and Nate. I want to love each kid just like their parents love them. I am a part of a bigger plan. I want to help my "team" win and my team succeed. Not only succeed in second grade but find success in their lives.

Well, that's all for my rambling. The boys still are not home. They really need to be because they need to shower---I'm sure they haven't really gotten very clean since May 25th ;)