Last First Day of School

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.
On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms."
-You've Got Mail

Today was my first day of school. My last first day of school as a student. I realize that this year could potentially be filled with last firsts... Last first football game as a student...last first weekend after the first week of school... but that would get old pretty quickly right? Not to mention depressing...

But today was a good last first thing... at least to me. And not because I'm ready to be finished with school or because the first day of school can be overwhelming or annoying... but because for the first time in a really long time I am excited about the idea of being the anxious teacher on the first day of school, not the anxious student.

My closest friends know that my feelings towards my choice of profession can drastically change at any moment... one day I will feel one way and the next the extreme opposite... bring up one aspect of the job and I could rant for hours...making you wonder why I even considered it in the first place... but bring up another issue and I may speak so passionately you'd think I never questioned it...ever. But recently I have had good feelings and I have been excited to get into everything...to get into a classroom again. And the best part is that these feelings have lasted more than 2 days, ha! I just keep remembering all the reasons I wanted to be a teacher in the first place...
Today I ran into one of my teachers from last semester... she is probably the best teacher I had last year and definitely my favorite... but besides learning a lot in her class, she truly cared for us as individuals and made the extra effort to know us personally. When I had my accident and was gone for three weeks, she was more than understanding and even went out of her way to check on me. Today... 4 months later... "how is your arm doing?" was one of the first things she asked me...
That is the kind of teacher I want to be...the kind that genuinely cares for her students... the kind that supports them in the things they do and gives them love and respect in a way they remember and feel. I have had wonderful teachers... teachers that made me want to work harder, made me believe in myself... teachers that gave more of themselves than just showing up on time. That is the kind of teacher I am going to be... it just helps when I'm actually excited about it for a change...
Here's to new school years and embracing the future!