The first week of school has come and gone, and with it, a collective sigh of relief that, ah yes- we have survived. :) Firsts of everything are exciting, nerve-wrecking, and sometimes anxiety ridden as the "what-ifs" tumble in and take over the collective bank of thoughts in your mind. Starting a new school year seems to be full of twice the excitement, nerves, and anxiety, especially when you are starting over at a new school in a new country.
I spent most of last weekend in my classroom, unpacking boxes, pulling through the previous teacher's belongings, and trying to make sense of what items I would need for future units and for my own personal teaching preferences. It was a long process, but it always is. I hit a wall at one point last weekend when it felt like we had been on campus FOREVER without students and it just felt like they would never arrive. Living on a school campus and having it be absent of students and families is a strange feeling. I looked at a friend earlier this week and said, "Please remind me that this preparation season has an end." When you're surrounded by the same group of people, both professionally and socially, and are working towards a common goal, but haven't seen the fruits of your labor yet, it can feel arduous at times. But they were just around the corner! Tuesday we had Open House with our new families, who we met in the school cafeteria for breakfast. I have 3 families that are new to HIS this year. I followed them to our Lower School orientation, where our principal welcomed families to HIS and introduced the school faculty and mission to the new families. When the presentation was over, we walked to our classroom buildings and were able to spend more time speaking with them one on one. The new families left shortly thereafter and just after lunch, returning families had the opportunity to pop into classrooms and meet their teachers throughout the afternoon. It was very informal, laid back, and inviting. In all, I was able to meet 13 of my 17 students the day before school started! Seeing them refreshed my spirit and helped me to keep the big picture, and my purpose here, within sight. :) The first few days of school were a wonderful blur. I think it was perhaps my best first day with students ever in terms of ease of transitions. Our school provides all students with the supplies and resources they need for school, so the constant chaotic rush of school supplies tumbling in the first hour of the day was gone. I was able instead to spend time with each student and their families as they entered my room and ensured them that we would have a great day. My students are very much as I expected them to be: polite, eager, and....little. :) I forget how much growth takes place between second and third grade, and being greeted with tiny former kindergartners every morning is still something that I am getting used to. I have a tendency to overplan the first few days (Okay- let's be honest- I overplan on a regular basis) and this was the first day in the history of first days where I actually had down time to FILL because we went through everything so quickly. By the end of the week, more reminders were needed for my kiddos, however, the heat this week has been unbearable on their little bodies (and our bigger bodies too!) and after being carted around the entire campus (our office, specialists, cafeteria, recess quarters, nurse, etc. are spread over a large campus, so we walk from place to place outside of our classroom building. I felt like half the first day was spent in transitions. HA!) in the blazing heat (it was 120 degrees with the heat index every day this week!) my poor kiddos were exhausted. Going from summer vacation to school schedules is tough, even for teachers. I had many who were exhausted by the end of the day, and one who fell asleep mid-day on Friday. :) All in all, it's been a wonderful week back! The pictures included in this post are of my not so finished classroom (avert your eyes from the stack of boxes in the corner and the unfinished bulletin board that would remain uncovered if not for the kindness of an assistant teacher who popped in to help on Friday. :)) I am learning to let some things go (ha!) and am trying to keep in mind that perfection, while strident, is not always a necessity.
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AuthorMichelle is an expat and globetrotter, currently residing in Augsburg, Germany. Originally from the US, she has called Guam, China, and Germany home. Her passions include collecting children's picture books, reading, writing, traveling, and trying to remove coffee stains from freshly cleaned shirts. Archives
February 2022
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