1st Day

I survived my first day back at work. For those of you not familiar with the life of an educator let me enlighten you: Once our summer is officially "over" we all, as a district, have to report back to "school" as one giant mass. In past years it has been at the old high school, but this year we all met at the brand new high school. This is a day when everyone in the district gets to see everyone else in the district. In a sense it is just like being back in high school yourself. I found myself going into the cafeteria with my head down rushing straight to the food section ignoring all of the people already seated at the tables (the "popular people" I assumed). I got my breakfast taco and fruit bowl and sat at the very first table filled with familiar faces. Fortunately for me they welcomed me into their "group." I had wanted to sit with my team (i.e. my "people") but did not want to have to search for them and so sat with the 6th grade teachers. I felt like I had arrived. I was accepted. Oh to be accepted. It made me think about the youth that will be in our care for the next school year. I have been on the outside of the "popular" circle before and it did not feel good. Now that I am older, and wiser, I wish that I had been comfortable with the me that I was (and still am). But, unfortunately, as kids, we always seem to want to fit a certain standard. I hope that I can help kids see that they are great the way that they are. I hope that I am able to feel great the way that I am.

Later, in the afternoon, we were all told to go to our "home campus." What awaited us there was something that was quite unexpected but completely enjoyable. The Drum Cafe had us all communicating via drums in a way that reminded us that we are all a family, beating as one. We need to listen to the soft beats as well as the loud beats. It was a welcome message and a great motivator. I am especially glad that our administrators had the insight and initiative to bring them to our campus in an effort to start our year off on a great note.

I love the people that I work with and I enjoy what I do. I feel very blessed and fortunate to be in a position where I get to interact with children in grades k-6th. This gives me the opportunity to watch them grow into themselves. I also enjoy watching my peers grow into the amazing teachers that they are. We all have separate lives and we all have baggage. I am just glad that we all get to be a family at work while we're away from our own.