How does it feel to start the school year? For some it's a boost to get back and see friends again after the long summer away. For some it's like crawling out of bed on a Monday morning, not feeling ready to tackle the challenges ahead. For me, Day 1 was great: seeing everyone back and feeling the energy return to the school building. This year brings so much opportunity and I know I am surrounded by creative, smart, diverse, and passionate people. What more could you want?
The hardest part of my day? Getting back in the exercise routine by hitting the trails. It's been a couple of months of travel, kids, relaxing and staying out of the heat. Running the familiar path felt anything but familiar. Muggy, hot, and slow, I put one foot in front of the other and tried to go steady. It wasn't until this moment that I realized how it might feel for some students to return to the routine of school. If your day was anything like this, clunky, awkward, and slightly painful, then I think that's OK. It's not easy to begin again, even though you've done this many times before.
There's something so forgiving about the start of the school year - another shot at things, not dissimilar from Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day, reliving the same day over and over until it's "perfect". As teachers, we get the opportunity to do it all over again each year, refine our curriculum, and make our classes a little better than the previous year. In a community where change is constant, visible, and necessary, the structure of this routine is both comforting and invigorating.
The hardest part of my day? Getting back in the exercise routine by hitting the trails. It's been a couple of months of travel, kids, relaxing and staying out of the heat. Running the familiar path felt anything but familiar. Muggy, hot, and slow, I put one foot in front of the other and tried to go steady. It wasn't until this moment that I realized how it might feel for some students to return to the routine of school. If your day was anything like this, clunky, awkward, and slightly painful, then I think that's OK. It's not easy to begin again, even though you've done this many times before.
There's something so forgiving about the start of the school year - another shot at things, not dissimilar from Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day, reliving the same day over and over until it's "perfect". As teachers, we get the opportunity to do it all over again each year, refine our curriculum, and make our classes a little better than the previous year. In a community where change is constant, visible, and necessary, the structure of this routine is both comforting and invigorating.
Here are some wonderful new faculty, who also survived their first day in style. Though experienced in the life of school, this is also a big day for them.
What lies ahead is unknown, but I have a feeling some great work is to come. Get to know these people and let's see what we can do together. Woods is a place where you are known, a place where you can make things happen, where great ideas come alive and can take you in new directions. It's all ahead of us. Bring on the other 184 days: I'm ready.
What lies ahead is unknown, but I have a feeling some great work is to come. Get to know these people and let's see what we can do together. Woods is a place where you are known, a place where you can make things happen, where great ideas come alive and can take you in new directions. It's all ahead of us. Bring on the other 184 days: I'm ready.