That First Week of School

During the first weeks of school,

Those of us who are special (teachers),

Do bus duty every day,

Tending to the lost souls,

Caring for the teary-eyed ones,

Helping those who have lost their way,

Or want to explore the school

And sometimes

Reflecting on the sights and sounds around us.

Here are mine from the first full week of school:



On Monday, of the first full week of school, they arrived (children and teachers) looking a bit apprehensive about what was ahead, but happy and bright eyed, ready to go.  There were smiles, and a few tears, amidst the backpacks filled with more potential than stuff.  Teachers, more often than not, were dressed in their best new garb, stylish shoes, and coiffed dos.  The air was ripe with the potential of the week ahead.

On Tuesday, they arrived a bit disheveled, and there were more tears as the youngest realized this going to school thing would be an every day event! There were some really tired looking faces (on both the teachers and children) as they all seemed to ponder about the need for five day school weeks.  The backpacks seemed heavier and filled with more books than before. They all wore shoes that were flatter and a bit less flattering!  

On Wednesday, the temperature and humidity were rising and they all arrived apprehensively, wondering if they would even make it through "hump day."   

 

On Thursday, the quieter crowd of zombie-looking teachers and students shuffled into the building looking like they were returning to the battle field.  They talked only of fans, air conditioning, and their water bottles.  They all walked a little slower, a bit more gingerly.

 

On Friday, the crowd was subdued and clearly exhausted.  They moved very slowly and very quietly through the hallways towards their destinations.  Many wondered if they could make it through the day?  They all wore shoes that were practical and comfortable.  Rather than carefully packed lunches and snacks conceived on Pinterest, they would eat whatever could be thrown into a bag quickly. They all carried packs laden with the hard and heavy work of learning.  

 

On Saturday, the hallways were so quiet you could hear a pin drop; yet outside, the soccer fields buzzed with excitement.  Amazingly, the parents and students talked about: school.  They compared teachers and pondered the new math homework.  They talked excitedly about being back in school.

 

On Sunday, even before the sun had risen in the sky, the teachers were busy in their homes planning for the week ahead.  They determined what was necessary and worthwhile and what could be dropped if "in the moment" learning happened.  They revised their initial seating charts, redid their tentative lesson plans based on formative assessments, reworked their home schedules, returned the dishes to the closets, remade the beds, repaired their clothes and relaxed their aching feet as they readied for the week ahead.  Throughout their own busy weekends, the teachers were thinking of those bright eyed children who would arrive the next day, looking a bit apprehensive about what was ahead, but eager and ready to go!