First day of school.

Let me just put it this way: it is 4:09 and I am blogging. That means that I have already prepared for tomorrow's class, tied up some loose ends, commuted, and settled in to watch Barefoot Contessa on the food network.

Last year at this time, I was still at school running around like a crazy and trying to figure out what the heck I was supposed to do next. I think I stayed at school till 5pm for the first month because I didn't know how to manage everything there was to do. I think it's safe to say that this year will be a little different :-) I remarked to my teacher friend Miss G. (you can find her teacher blog here) that I feel so much more in control, and felt that way all day. I had a laundry list of things to get through, and I didn't get through them all. I felt ok about this at the end of the day because I know that the first month is all about getting things set for the year. I changed gears easily as I noticed the kids needed a break here and there and added and subtracted things on my list with ease!

Now please, don't misunderstand - I'm not a master teacher. I'm not even that GOOD at it yet! But having a sense of calm and being able to maintain it is something more than I can say for most days last year.

I'm excited about my class too. The kids were well-behaved, polite, and got along well. They were good listeners and participated when I asked them to. Now, of course, it's the first day and they're too nervous to act out, but I'm hoping that by setting the stage with clear expectations, they will not be shocked when I turn into a mean teacher ;-)

I hope there's more good to come!