Yesterday marked the start of my 34th year of teaching. My classroom was the cleanest it has ever been--the custodians worked tirelessly all summer to clean, paint, and repair a number of items leaving the entire school looking GREAT! This was a terrific welcome.
The superintendent's talk focused on partnership, engagement, and trust--a positive message, and our union president discussed the importance of a year where we continually act in ways that distinguish teaching as a profession--an uplifting, inspiring talk.
Later in the day, we met with our dedicated specialists and thoughtfully worked on the weekly schedule. I was so happy to see that our scheduling analysis, meetings, and focus from last January resulted in a terrific schedule that gives us good time to teach all students well. Today we'll meet as a school team to discuss nuts and bolts, and then we'll return to preparation for the first days of school as students arrive tomorrow.
The one change to the start of the year I'd like to see is my desire to forward a better orientation process. I've written about this often and have tested the waters with my colleagues to forward a more positive orientation process, but we've yet to get the kind of systemwide support for this work, support that I'll continue to advocate for in the days ahead.
All in all, however, I am so pleased to see our school year starting with this positivity.
