Begin again

From the desk of Alice…

The teachers went back to school this week in our local district.  I have to admit, I am a tiny bit jealous.

I used to LOVE the workdays before the kids came back when I was still working at a single school.  Say what you will, it was an exciting time of year and it gave me time to catch up with my colleagues and think about the possibilities to come over the following 180 school days.  We would laugh in the hallways, make grand plans, write notes in professional development (we had no cell phones or texting back then!) and spend time in our classrooms visualizing the faces we would have, the lessons we would teach, and the spirit that we would bring to both.

For me, the beginning of the year was just that- a beginning.  It was full of opportunity, hope, and possibilities.  Those magical days in August were before the long days of October and the frazzled days of December and the exhausting dark days of February, not to mention the testing days of May.  The beginning of the year was a place where we could start fresh.  A clean slate that allowed us to right wrongs, and focus on the future.

My wish for the teachers this week is to capture the HOPE that lies in these days and keep it safe.  Pull it out after a horrible faculty meeting, glance at it when the data doesn’t show what you wanted, stand on it when doubt creeps in.  Tuck it safely away, post it on your website or plaster it on a bulletin board.  Whatever you do, don’t lose it.

May this year be the one where HOPE is abundant.  I (along with all of ERG) are rooting for you!

I worked really hard on that bulletin board for Open House in 1996!