I'll be honest, it was hard today. Hard to get excited about coming back to school, hard to get up and get ready, hard to put on a smile. I called a friend who teaches the same content I do in another district and said to her "I think it's just the circumstances we are in, but I'm not sure how much more of this I can take". She assured me it is. (I hope she's right)
We are similar in our teaching styles and philosophy (she did student teach under me, so that may have something to do with it) most likely because teaching is a 2nd career for us and we entered it after having kids and work and life experiences. These past 10 months in education are not what any of us signed up for, but yet here we are, pushing through and doing our best to put a smile on our face for every kid that walks through our door, because we know it's hard for them too.
I am hopeful that soon things will go back to as close to what we can call normal as possible. I hope to not wear a mask all day. I hope to have all my kids in my classroom at the same time. I strive for the ability to come up with a new idea I heard on the radio in the morning on the way to work, and work it into a lesson and discussion in class that day. I hope for a lot of things, but I do not want Hope to be my word for the year (I'm still thinking on what that should be).
So here's to all of you who made it through the first teaching day of 2021. Hope you are all ending the day with a smile. Thanks Sandy for the chat today, I really needed it! And here's to a great second half of the year, and that everything you hope for comes through.
