The first day of school is always exciting. Even after 20 years in the classroom I get the anxiety flutters about 15 minutes before the first bell rings. I know that I’m ready, have everything planned out, and have done the mental reps to make sure I accomplish everything I want to on the first day. It’s just, well, you never really know how it’s going to go. Gather 34 different humans in a room for 51 minutes at a time and things have the potential to go horribly awry. One time I had a lesson go completely off the rails because a single house fly found its way into my room. Sometimes that’s all it takes. Come to think of it, it’s kind of a miracle that anything actually productive gets done on a daily basis.
Much of my first day excitement comes from knowing that anything is possible on the first day of school. Being a teacher means I am constantly learning and growing. I have learned from my past mistakes, reflected on my past good and bad practices, gained valuable wisdom and experience, and am a better teacher because of it. This year, in theory, should be my best year of teaching ever. Will I make new mistakes or fall back into some of my previous bad habits? Of course I will. Do I know that this year has the potential to be my best one yet? Absolutely.
It’s the same for my students. They all come to school feeling a sense of hope and optimism for a new year and chance to be their best. I can always feel that on day one. The challenge is to keep them feeling that hope and optimism going for all 180 days. Students don’t start the year expecting to fail. They learn that mindset over time, if you allow them to.
So yesterday was the first full day of school, and it went like many others. Even though anything is possible, there are still a few things that are almost 100% guaranteed to happen.
- A student will be in the wrong classroom for period 1 and not realize it until I am finished with attendance. When they realize their name wasn’t called, they will check their schedule again, get hit with a wave of anxiety, then sheepishly exit my room looking for their science class instead.
- Two best friends will make the strategic error of sitting next to each other when I allow everyone to sit wherever they want, thereby giving me critical human intel. Oh, you are best friends forever? I’ll remember that when I make my seating chart for next week.
- At least one student from each class period will be way too friendly, way too fast. Slow down sport, I’ll learn your life story over the next 180 days, not the next 3 minutes.
- After 2 months of being able to use the restroom whenever I desire, my bladder will not understand why it can’t be emptied during the middle of 2nd period. Come on bladder, we’ve been through this before. It’s going to have to wait until exactly 9:45AM.
- The lunch line will be a hot disaster as 600 new 7th grade students will learn to navigate the new system. They get it down pretty fast, but day one is always dicey.
- One of my EXPO markers will be sacrificed to the new school year gods and left without a cap on, or had the ink tip smashed into its body.
- At least three pencils will be left on my floor.
- During period 5 or 6 I will get confused as to whether I’ve covered the agenda for the day, as all the class periods tend to merge in my brain by then. I will have forgotten at least one thing. This year I forgot to take attendance during period 5. Literally the first item on my agenda and I biffed it.
- By the last class of the day my vocal chords will be absolutely fried from talking more in one day in my “teacher voice” than the past 2 months combined.
- 30 minutes after school ends will be epic nap time. I have embraced the truth that teaching in my 40’s means many, many naps.
Most of these guaranteed events are trivial (although the student in the wrong period 1 class will most likely relive that moment in their head many times over) and don’t really matter in the long term. What does matter is that on the very first day of school each student and educator has a chance to contribute to the new school culture in a positive way. Every student matters, and every student has an impact. Anything is possible on day one.
I find middle school to be a completely magical place. Over a thousand children from a wide array of cultures and backgrounds are brought to a central location, learn a hugely complex system of routines and practices from many different educators who care for them, navigate an intricate web of personal relationships, and somehow leave with more knowledge and skills than they had the day before. What an amazing place to be.
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