First day jitters--I think not

They came back today. They oozed out of bed and moved into rooms and desks at hours they are certainly not use to. They checked their schedules with friends and made up schemes to try and get themselves into each others classes. They listened to a lot of rules that they already know (but sometimes do not follow). Some of them were really happy to be back and some of them were ready to ditch already.

I had 9th graders today. This is their first experience in high school. Some of them trying to prove themselves that they are more important then the class or someone else or the school itself. They are 13 and 14 years old who really still can only tell their right from their left if it is printed on their shoes (for them to see of course). They are just very immature and do not know how to seek maturity.

I was glad they were in my class today. It meant that I had a class to be in. All of my colleagues commented on the big smile I had on my face all day and said that it just wasn't fair, no one should be that happy on the first day of school. I was. For the first time in years I slept the night before without a problem, I didn't think about school at all. I knew what I needed to do in each class, I knew what else I needed to do while I was at school, I knew all I needed to know. It was a great feeling. I wasn't so booked that I couldn't make necessary changes in planning and I wasn't so behind that I only had today planned. It was great.

The kids were kids. I've been reminded by so many of the first teenagers that I taught 15 years ago that they have turned out just fine. In fact, they just put on a reunion, 10 years away from the nest (they are Nighthawks), and they commented on the fact that I was a teacher that they remembered so well (former students makeup the majority of my Facebook friends). I could feel the pride swell as I hung pictures on my classroom walls of students past. It was great to look at the faces and see just why I am in this business.

My son will be a teenager in January. He is a good kid, he makes kid mistakes, he learns from them (which is really the point). I know that he will never be the typical teenager, he isn't the typical anything and I like that. I know we have a very important choice to make about where he will attend school in 9th grade. I know that he will be successful no matter where he goes.

I like the fact that a lot of the faces I saw today got the point. They seemed like they were eager (not one tardy) and they seemed to be prepared for learning and working to learn. I'm hoping that they will sustain the momentum needed to make it through the whole year. I think that it is going to be one of the years, one of the years that will make all the difference in the world.