So, there we were, doing our monthly Sam’s Club run to stock up the pantry and it happened.  I had been in control all summer, not really thinking about it but it hit like a ton of bricks.  There in front of me were huge displays of school supplies!!!! And I got those B.O.Y. butterflies just thinking about all the newness to come.  In terms of my profession, the Beginning Of the Year is my favorite time of year.  It was always my favorite time as a student and now as a teacher, I’ve had a break to learn and recharge and I am ready to go again.  Don’t get me wrong, like all teachers, I work hard and at the end of the year I’m exhausted.  I NEED the break.  But here I am, a month away from the first meetings of the school year and I’m drooling over school supplies.

Teaching is a unique profession in that each year we essentially get to start fresh. We walk into an environment where everything has been cleaned and polished over the summer, walls have been painted, floors have been waxed and carpets have been scrubbed.  Where else do you get to take a room and decorate it in such as way that it welcomes, engages and invites learning every day?  The effort shows our students that we care about them and the environment where learning takes place.  It’s a lot like something my pastor talked about when you invite guests over for convivium.  You set out your nicest dinnerware, you provide a wonderful meal and you take time for great conversation with your guests.  It lets them know how important they are in your life. Even though our students may be returning to the same school, it’s a new teacher at a new grade level with maybe new classmates.  It’s essential to make them feel welcomed and important and preparing the room is a big part of that.

But, the beginning of the year is also great for teachers.  It’s an opportunity to take what you’ve done before, get rid of those things that didn’t work as well as you hoped and institute new things that will instill the love for learning in those students.  New methods of teaching and learning, of assessing, and classroom management are encouraged, all in the name of making things better for students.  My students love it when I come back from conferences and workshops and tell them they are going to be my “guinea pigs”.  They know this means that it’s something new and we’re all going to work to learn and do something different.  It’s a fun, exciting collaboration, not as much a teacher/student relationship as it is a facilitator/explorer relationship.

In the Christian faith, God is sometimes referred to as the God of second chances. I know that if I ask forgiveness for things or thoughts that are not what He intended and work to change my lifestyle, he will forgive and give me that “second chance”.  Thank goodness, because I’m not anywhere close to being perfect! I look at the beginning of the year in much the same way.  It is a time to change how I do things for the better.  It’s a time to get to know my students better, to build more meaningful relationships, to make it all about them and not about me.  It’s a time to work on my personal behaviors, to be more proactive, more patient, and better prepared.  There’s always more we can do to improve ourselves and I’m fortunate to be in a profession that allows me to do that in such a tangible way.

So in a couple of weeks (because I won’t be able to wait any longer), I’ll start spending time at school getting ready for my 27th year of teaching.  I’m excited to start some world drumming, focusing more on diversity and inclusion, and putting into practice some new ideas to help my students feel more a part of the school community.  I’m looking forward to collaborating with a new art colleague and teaming with all the specialists.  I’m looking forward to getting input from my students to see what they would like to learn about music in addition to those prescribed by my district.  Oh and yes, I’m excited to buy all those fresh new school supplies!