This is my favorite time of year. College football starts in a few weeks, autumn is sure to be around the corner (although I live in GA so it’s usually late October before we begin to see a break in temps) and school is starting.
The stores are all hustle and bustle with parents and kids armed with school-generated lists of supplies necessary for the child to function appropriately in the classroom.
Moms are running wild trying to collect all the necessary supplies, kids are dreading the end of summer, and some teachers are groaning about returning to the classroom.
I love school.
I always have, I’m sure I always will. I was the kind of kid who begged my mom to take me school supply shopping in July, and then I’d carefully organize my supplies, label my folders, and prepare with hope and excitement for a new school year weeks in advance.
And nothing changed when I became a teacher.
Being a teacher only added to the excitement for me. I couldn’t wait to meet the kids whom I would have the pleasure of teaching. And because I taught high school, with each new semester, I got to do it all over again!
There is something so exciting about a fresh, new school year. It’s full of anticipation, hopefulness, and the desire to be accepted, whether you are a student or a teacher.
This is the time of year when I miss teaching the most. I miss everything about it, from the paperwork and relentless meetings and workshops, to the actual classroom time and relationships I built with my students. I even miss the challenge of a class from you-know-where.
To my teacher friends, I say, God bless you this year. I pray that God gives you patience, wisdom, and the ability to realize that each precious child represents the opportunity for you to be a light to an entire family unit. Each child represents the hope for our future. And no matter how annoying or uncontrollable that child may seem, each child has been given to you by God for a brief span of time– make the most of it. Pray over each one of them. Love each one of them. Remember the old adage that you may be the only glimpse of kindness, love, joy, patience, or Jesus Christ that the child ever sees.
I wish you a Happy New Year!
Share with Me: What did you or do you most love and hate about the Back-to-School time? Were you the kind of student to keep your desk or locker organized, or did the dog constantly eat your homework?
Hale and Hearty Words 
For anyone who may have read this before I was able to make corrections, forgive me! 🙂 I typed it in about 1 minute from a borrowed computer because our home internet was down.
I always started off with great plans to make each year the year that I kept my stuff organized. It never worked. I didn't lose things, but I was (and am) constantly in a state of organized chaos.What I loved most? New teachers, new starts, and just…learning, especially in ELA/social studies classes. Right now, what I hate most about Back-to-School time is that I'm NOT going back to school, because no one seems to need a super awesome English teacher.
I adore this time of year too.. almost football season.. summer wrapping up.. change is in the air :)cheers!
Hello, I'm a new subscriber to your blog and was glad to chance upon it, especially because of your teaching experience. The rhythms of the school year definitely keep things fresh. But I must confess that, as a new school year is about to erupt next week, I'm having mixed feelings. The demands of teaching, particularly grading essays, really cuts into both my family life and my writing life. Not to mention my prayer life. Of course, this summer I haven't been posting regularly, like I had been during the school year. So just as I'm starting to feel some twinges of resentment as the new year is starting up, it was refreshing to read your enthusiasm for how you approached the challenges — by praying for your students, for example. Living purposefully and deliberately like that makes whatever task we face each day full of excitement and wonder. So thanks for the breath of fresh air!
Jenny I was having mixed feelings (as I often do) about returning to school this year, because the last year ended on a funky note. I loved my lazy summer days at the pool, the sleeping in until 8:30, the staying up late. But then, when I went into the school box to browse the "old feeling" came back, and when I got into my classroom it hit me something fierce. I was ready to begin a new school year, and teach a new crop of students again. In the rush of grading papers, meetings, and staff development sessions, I forget that this profession truly is a calling, and the fact that I smile like a kid on Christmas when I hear students talk to me in Spanish shows me it is one I'm not ready to give up yet. I also am reminded of my higher calling as a member of the body of Christ, and that the only glimpse of Jesus a child may see is in me for 45 minutes a day (which is hard to remember sometimes, but I keep it in mind). So, thanks for the great tribute, and I know you are enjoying the time with your boys, but there is a history classroom that needs you, and students that can benefit from you teaching them. Hope you come back soon!
Thanks for the comments, everyone!Matthew- Like you, grading essays was one of my least favorite parts of the teaching experience. I don't look forward to that part when I go back someday, but it's a necessary part of the gig, right? Glad you are breathing a little easier about going back. I'll be praying for you as you return to the classroom this year! It was always amazing to me how much my attitude would change (even daily) if I prayed over my kids. Happy New Year! 🙂
Thanks for praying for myself and other teachers!