I am embarking an a writing project for the month of December. Join me here for my Twelve Days of Blogging posts, scattered throughout the holiday season, and catch up on what is going on here in my world of teaching, parenting, cooking, surviving, thriving, and living life.
This week marked the first week of a new trimester at school. One of my opening activities is to talk to each student one-on-one. I have them share their name, interests, and then they have a choice of asking me a question or I will ask them a question, which ends up about 50-50 with the asking and answering. Most of our questions and answers run from an overview of our favorite things into the silliness of superpowers, animal hybrid fighting machines, and hypothetical match-ups.
One of my favorite questions I received this week though was "What do you love about school?"
That was an easy question! I have always loved the first day of school, and really the first day of a new quarter/trimester/semester, having done them all. I love the anticipation of staring with fresh with a set of new supplies, the notebook full of possibilities, the challenge of learning names, revisiting hallowed texts with the promise of new insights, and even the satisfying exhaustion of the seating chart, syllabus, and stubborn students.
Everyone needs a fresh start sometimes, another first day. Sometimes it feels like we need one every hour of every day. Sometimes its hard to ask for the forgiveness and open mindedness that is often needed to move forward. Sometimes that exhaustion is not so satisfying and comes with a tension headache that makes the blank page an impossibility.
But when the page is turned, the expanse of space is ripe to be filled with hope, creativity and joy.
So here is to 31 first days of school, and to a fresh start of a new writing project, in the spirit of the season.
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