Back to School 2017

Well, it's that time of year again. For the eleventh time, I'll be welcoming a new group of young people into my life and doing my best to ensure they leave me in June better and wiser than when we met in early September. 

I recently did the math - as best I could considering block scheduling, A and B day classes, and semester courses - and I think I have had the distinct pleasure of working with somewhere near 2,000 students. And I truly do consider it a pleasure, an honor, that I've been able to do what I love, to face new and unique challenges with each class and each year, to meet some of my favorite people - colleagues and students (those Acadec peeps, I tell ya!),  and to grow in my practice and perspective. 

There have been days, and not that long ago, a whole year,  where I am more defeated than I'd like to admit, times when I worried I wasn't the best at what I was doing or that my best wasn't good enough, but then I hear a student say something like, "don't be a miscreant," and I think, "They remember my vocabulary song and dance." And I pick up a pen and scratch some notes in my lesson plan binder and think that I may just have a chance to make a little bit of an impact, and the day is better, and I'm sure, once again, I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. 

To all those educators out there, our profession may not be glamorous or even well-respected, but we know what we're up against and what we're able to accomplish each day and with each kiddo, so keep fighting the good fight, my friends!



And now, with a little bit of nerves and a lot of anticipation, bring on year 11, West High School. I'm as ready as I'll ever be :)

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