The kids started on Monday. I start today. This has almost always been the case (that they start two days before me) and I appreciate those extra days to get used to their routine before I’m thrown into my own.
The first two days went well. I took each of them to school on Monday since I didn’t have anything pressing waiting for me at work. Both of them ended up in classes with their friends which REALLY helped calm their nerves and kept Monday morning drama free. They both tried out their new after care situations on Monday afternoon too.
My husband attempted his first solo morning yesterday and it went well. He takes our son to school on the bus around 8am, getting home by 8:45. Most of this time was spent just watching our son play on the blacktop (supervision starts at 8:10 and they line up at 8:30), so it will probably shorten as they both get used to it. Then he is back home to walk our daughter to the bus by 9am. Her friend met them there and they were off! Their school doesn’t start until 9:30am! I’m guessing that later in the year they can meet each other at the bus stop without my husband (they both have watch phones so they can coordinate themselves).
Yesterday I hung around until 7:45ish because I had an all-district welcome back event at another school at 8:30am. Today I’ll be leaving much earlier (especially since I woke up at 5am and finally gave up on trying to fall back asleep at 5:40, when I started writing this post). I lay out their clothes the night before and I’ll be packing their lunches before I leave. It helps me to participate in those little ways.
I think I’m ready for today. It’s a minimum day so each class is only 30 minutes long. My classroom is ready. I have an activity planned but am giving myself enough time to just take it slow and focus on expectations. I have a few little fillers to get us to the end of each period in case they blow through my activity super fast.
I have not taught a real class on campus since March 13, 2020. Its been way too long and I am so ready to be back. I was able to implement my flexible seating plan and I LOVE my new room. I have three smaller classes of Spanish 1A and one full class of Spanish 1B – my Spanish program has finally grown to meet my aspirations! There is a lot of positive to focus on and for this week at least, I’m going to focus on it.
Thanks for sticking with me while I managed my freak outs about the beginning of the year. I still feel a lot of anxiety about starting school during the Delta surge, but I’m also feeling a lot of gratitude that we get to go in person. Fingers crossed that today goes well!
Good luck! I will be thinking about you.
Know you will do well. Thank you for sharing the back to school adventure and information on what you and yours are finding. Media easily gets excited and maintaianing any sense of proportion of the differences where you or I or others are from the worst hit areas of the country is hard without people like you sharing.
I have been vividly reminded of this by being in a part of the country where infection numbers are/were better than where I am normally.
Hope this week goes well for the children, you and your husband.
So much support to you all!
I hope it was a good day! It’s been crazy just being a parent lately I can’t imagine being a teacher too. Good luck and here’s hoping for a better school year!
Friday evening. You all survived week 1. Congratulations. On day and one week at a time. Lots fo support wishes!