First Day Jitters

"The future is always beginning now."  - Mark Strand, Reasons for Moving

Officially, the end of summer is marked on the calendar as September 22, but if you ask any student or teacher, the real last day of summer is the day before the new school year begins.  I vividly remember the days preceding my first day of school and the nervousness I felt right there in the pit of my belly.  What will my teachers be like?  Will my classes be hard?  Will I like my schedule?  Never in a million years did I believe I would one day become a teacher, nor would I have believed that teachers experience a nervousness of their own.  Now, I find myself asking, will my classroom be ready?  What will my students be like?  Will I make a difference?  Again, will I like my schedule?  

But beyond that feeling of nervousness lies an innate excitement that I also recall from my student years.  For me, “the new” is more exciting than it is nerve-racking.  I get a whole new crop of school babies and a whole new year to make my own.  What happened or didn’t happen last year is of no concern.  I can learn from the mistakes and triumphs of the last year to ensure this year is the best yet - for myself and for my students.  New beginnings are exciting when you’ve made your career in education (or any other field, really) because you get a fresh start and anything is possible.  Bring the new year on!