1st day

Granted, this is not the First Day With Students, but we had our first day back as teachers. Technically, tomorrow is our first day back under contract, but this is a trade day with Friday (and my car is going into the shop for a big ol' check up before the school year really gets underway, which I know won't be cheap dangit, so I won't be able to go in on Friday anyway, unless K is willing to get up incredibly early), so it is our official first day back.

All of the teachers are down in the Commons, and we're having breakfast together and our principal starts it off with... an announcement! Well, you can guess. Those of you who are reading this and don't know yet, I am sorry. I suppose this is my way of announcing it.

Our principal said, "There are three ladies in the English department who have some news! Ladies, show them your hands!" And of course, I get beet red, but we all hold up our left hands (we were chatting in the same area, so it made sense)--bling! :) My friends R and E are engaged now--and we're each getting married next summer but in a different month (this is funny--in reverse order of engagement and in reverse order of time in the relationship). And everyone was really cute when they gasped and the rest of the day was spent in "Congratulations!" which is always a lot of fun, especially when it's been a month and a half and you're kind of sick of planning (or trying to get ahold of the photographer you really want) at this point so the congrats buoys you up again to get some of this planning done before the real onslaught begins.

The workshops were great, and I only say this because I have spent half my summer looking at bridal magazines. It was really just great to be with everyone again and this afternoon I looked through my class list. I suddenly realized something that is completely unique to a second year teacher (I'm going to be searching for these things... I enjoyed being a first year and having that safety net and excuse--I'm somehow supposed to only go "up", which is very frightening, especially when, as your principal puts it, you are your own worst enemy in the criticizing war)--I will have siblings of students I have had before!!! And fortunately, they are all students I have enjoyed having in class and all children of parents I have never had to contact nor felt compelled but resisted (nor parents who contacted and were... well, you know what I mean).

I also checked out my creative writing class and it looks good. There is a good handful of folks I know mixed in with a large number I don't, which I think is ideal. It's like subbing--I would much rather sub for a class when I know maybe three or more kids there then one I don't know anyone in! Plus, you get to meet all kinds of goofy new kids.

I'm pretty psyched. I started my syllabus before I left today (I'm thinking the seven to five will be, once again, a typical shift, aside from musical and One Act season, depending on how much a certain director wants me to stick around), so as soon as I have that printed out, maybe I'll stop having those awful dreams where I'm ready to meet the kids, but I don't have any fancy handouts to give them. Oh well, if worst comes to worst, I'll do the plot diagram and show them the Simpsons or the Sneetches video I've got stored in my cupboard.

Oh, the big thing this year--organization. (Isn't that what it should be every year?) I have a couple of systems and right now have half my binders (the other half I worked on today) sprawled across my room with handouts stacked on top, ready to be stored. I was so organized in the fall, when there wasn't a musical! :) Now I just want to make sure I can find originals and extras of handouts, be able to have an "inbox" that the kids can't get to (too much late work crammed in willy nilly) and an "outbox" that I empty regularly for student work as well as an in and out box for school whatnot (photocopies, send this to department pals, etc.).

Oh, and here's something I haven't mentioned but should--my kid sister is moving from the Big Apple to Don't Mess With Texas, therefore my Statue of Liberty (yes, ironic, I get it Del.) will truly be a tourist spot.