Ready or Not.....Schools Coming
There's something refreshing about the start of a new school year. I remember when I was a kid the utter excitement my mom and I would both feel when we saw the pencils and new crayons start to appear in the back to school section. This was back in the layaway days. My mom would tell my sister and I that we were going to go back to school shopping and we would look forward to this day all week. When the time would come, we would head to Walmart and fill up and entire cart with all the items we would need for school that year. I remember one year, my mom bought an entire box full of notebook paper. It was a quarter a pack and I remember being so excited that it was the "good paper" with the bold blue lines instead of the dull light blue of the cheaper brand. I was so proud of that paper when I pulled it out at school.

We would fill up another cart with school clothes, socks, shoes, you name it....everything we needed for the year. We proudly paraded our carts full of items back to the layaway counter. I remember beaming with pride touching every pen, pencil, and package of crayons. I loved when my mom would say that the day finally came when we could go get our layaway.
It was so exciting to unpack those boxes and show off our treasures to my dad. He would pretend he was as excited as we were as we showed off our goodies. Our school didn't have uniforms, only a dress code and it was so much fun to get new shoes and clothes. Sometimes we even got a few things we couldn't wear at school like jean skirts and t-shirts. The summer before third grade, I got a pair of black shoes with a big bow on the toe and scrunchy socks to go with them. They were all the rage back then and I thought I was hot stuff parading around showing off my new socks and shoes. It's funny what you remember when you think back on those days.
As I sit here realizing that in four very short weeks, I'll be returning to school to get everything ready for my new students. And in less than 5 weeks, I'll be staring into the eyes of 18 new second graders and forming a new class family. I can't help but wonder if they are anxious or excited about the upcoming year. I wonder if they too love the thrill of a new pencil and notebook. Mostly, I wonder if I will be enough. If I'll be the teacher they need. I find myself already praying for them and hoping they'll like me. It's silly at 42 worry if an 8 year old will like you, but I so want them to know they are loved and safe and our class is a special place. Some days will be hard, but we'll get through those days together.
Teacher friends, as we mourn the end of summer and gear up for the challenging days ahead, I challenge you to take a minute and remember. your own excitement (fear, nerves, butterflies) over the beginning of the school year. Remember the childlike wonder of a new year and remember to look at things through your student's eyes. Busy days are ahead with all the preparations, but don't lose sight of the reason we do what we do. And now, I think I'll go sit by the pool and maybe see if Amazon sells those slouchy socks I loved so much in 3rd grade. Maybe I'll even splurge and get a pack of the good paper with the bright blue lines.
Summer is short, soak it up! Life is short....enjoy the little things.
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