reviewing the game plan

All summer, pretty much whenever I could, I would sneak off to Starbucks. I’ve developed a love for a tall iced coffee, sweetened with soy. And although I was maybe embarrassed initially by my Starbucks gold membership, I’m not anymore. In fact I love it, and my free coffee refills (which you can get too as long as your card is registered—you don’t have to be gold). But today, I wasn’t at Starbucks at all; in fact, I passed four of them on my drive to school.

Then I arrived, at the door of my almost creepily empty room. At first, I was simply overwhelmed. Thirty chairs were stacked in the back, there was nothing bright or colorful anywhere, and I hadn’t had any coffee. I wish I could tell you some trick to make this moment better if it happens to you. But, I can tell you that I moved through that overwhelming threshold, plugged in my iPod, and got started.

I arrived around 9:45AM, then at 11AM I was ready to call it a day.  I think I pushed through until 2PM.  I hung all my favorite posters, took out new pencils, hung up artwork around my desk from former students, and then sat in the summer heat and tried to rehearse in my mind what I might say to them when they walk in on that first day of school.

Beginnings are nerve wracking and beautiful in the same breath. Maybe as a teacher, I shouldn’t admit that I get nervous about the first day of school. Maybe I should tell you; oh it’s just a bunch of administrative stuff that first week. But, you saw my last blog; you know my first week, and there are no preseason this doesn’t really count moments when you’re in my classroom.

For now, I’ll run back up to Starbucks and review the game plan one more time . . .