First Days of School

It's been a few weeks since my last post, and school has officially started! On the first day of school (Tuesday, August 18), I must admit that I was a little nervous! I was feeling the 1st day jitters as we drove to school and I thought about my new class, but as soon as I got out of the car one of my students from last year saw me and ran across the parking lot to give me a big hug. All day long I was greeted with hugs, air kisses (Dominican greeting), and enthusiastic "Miss Long!"s, and I just kept thinking over and over again that this is why I'm a teacher. Now into the second week of school some of my old students are still dropping by my classroom, sneaking up behind me as they see me around campus, or waving from their classrooms. I know this will die down a little as they get used to 7th grade and their new teachers, but I'm still cherishing the relationships that I've made with them and just the opportunity to see them grow. They have middle school uniforms this year, and they look so old to me! Most of them grew over the summer and are now taller than me. :) I just have to accept that they're big 7th graders now!

Because our last few days of school were canceled last year due to swine flu, we had to do 6th grade graduation this past weekend. It definitely added extra stress to last week trying to get everything prepared, especially since my co-teacher and I had no idea what we were doing (we were both new to SCS last year), but things went off smoothly, and it was really nice to have the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate with my old students.

As I continue to enjoy my kids from last year, it really increases my excitement for this year. I know that I will get to know the kids in my class now just like I know the 7th graders, and I'm excited to learn and grow with them together. I have already had a lot of laughs with this new bunch, and I'm pumped for the year ahead! It's been a good first week!