First Days

School started for our local kids and there is a buzz in the air. My morning walk takes me near an elementary school. On the first official day of school I met several kids on their way to a bright shiny new year. I greeted the first little family with a cheery, "Have a great year, kids." The little guy with large brown eyes that could melt Antarctica responded with a thumbs up and said, "I am in second grade this year." He could barely contain his enthusiasm. The second little family consisted of a beaming mom and a proud dad with an adorable little girl decked out in a bouncy skirt and a perky bow in her hair. I offered my same greeting and the girl squealed with delight, "I'm in first grade now!" The parents would have bust their buttons if they had any. Shortly thereafter, a young lady went whizzing by me on her little bicycle. I shouted, "Have a good year!" She turned her head back and gave me a big grin as she sped onward to her destination. I did not check any of the students' backpacks but my guess is the packs were filled with shiny new pencils, pens, paper, glue sticks, markers, scissors and whatever else was on the designated school supply list.

The beauty of the school calendar is the freshness of new beginnings. The erasers are whole and free of smudges. The markers have all their caps. The folders are sturdy and ready to organize all sorts of assignments. The pencil pouch is at the ready with sharpened pencils and fresh ink pens. And, most importantly, there is a new teacher in a new classroom in a new grade. Whatever speed bumps were a part of the year before are now potentially wiped away with eager hope.

My life has been filled with many first days of school from kindergarten to high school to college and to graduate classes. And, as an extra bonus, I had thirty-one years of first days as a teacher. Even though I am retired, I can still feel the jitteriness of the night before the first day. I remember how my mind was filled with a non-stop reel of things to do. Seating charts, lesson plans, meetings, supplies, bulletin boards, books and on and on and on.

For a teacher, the morning of the first day is beyond hectic in preparation for the students' arrival. Last minute details are dealt with and a deep breath is taken as the busses pull up to the school and the opening bell rings. As I stood at my door greeting the faces, I prayed that I would soon enough connect a name to each one of them. Seating assignments were made, the pledge of allegiance was spoken and then class would begin. Procedural details were reviewed and getting-to-know-you activities were completed. The students sized me up as I made my initial assessments of them. Time would tell how smoothly things would flow.

Finally, the last bell of the day rings. The students grab their backpacks and make their way out of the building as the teachers bid them farewell with a "See you tomorrow." It was at this point that I usually let out a huge sigh of relief having survived day one. My feet hurt and I was exhausted but no time to dilly dally. This was just the beginning and we always believed in the hope of a good year. The next 188 days would be the test of the shiny penny known as the new school year.