Celebrate the New School Year

I thought I would participate in my first "Celebrate This Week" post, established by Ruth Ayers, since each day of the start of this new school year found something new and joyous to celebrate. Here is the rundown:

Monday
Today began the first week of school at my new/old school (new because it's my first year teaching there/old because it's where I went to school). No matter how many years I've been teaching, the first day will always be nerve-racking. Being the new kid compounds that times ten! Plus, being a graduate of this school piles on the pressure of expectations in some ways. Still, it was a great first day and I'm excited to learn and write alongside my students.


Tuesday

Still in the "getting to know you" phase with my 8th graders - AKA "What's your name again?" But I had a great moment in all three of my classes when I was convinced they'd all think they were too cool to sit on the floor and have a picture book read to them, but instead most of them got up and sat on the floor with great enthusiasm and listened attentively to the story, which was Deborah Freedman's The Story of Fish and Snail. Afterwards we talked about the message of the story, which is to move outside your comfort zone, take risks, and be brave. We even invited Deborah into our conversation by asking her a question on Twitter:

@BethShaum I'm working on other things right now, but I'd rather see THEIR sequels, anyway! Maybe they'd like Mouse & Frog, in April. :)
— Deborah Freedman (@DeborahFreedman) August 20, 2014

Tuesday was also cause for celebration because author Gae Polisner was in town and she led a wonderful event at Nicola's Books with three other YA authors called 90 Second reads. It was so wonderful hanging out with Nerdy friends and authors.


Wednesday
 Today we continued our class discussion about being brave by showing my classes the video "Brave" by Sara Bareilles and then asked them to write about the ways they plan to be brave this school year.

When I asked each of my classes who wanted to be brave and share with everyone, I had one brave soul in my last hour raise his hand and proceed to share words so heartfelt and moving that I couldn't help but find tears welling up in my eyes. And on the first week of school no less! It wasn't long before a few more students showed their bravery and shared their thoughts with the class too. I have no doubt this is gong to be a great school year.

Wednesday was also my husband's birthday and we celebrated by having dinner with some friends at one of our favorite restaurants, Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, and then attending another book event at Nicola's, this time for author Kathleen Flinn's new memoir, Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good, which is a book I will do doubt be using as a mentor text in my own classroom. 


Thursday
Parent night. Which always gets my hands clammy and my face about three or four shades of red and blotchy, as I am not the most articulate of speakers when I am nervous. But the best part of the night is when I had a parent come up to me and tell me how much it meant to her that I wrote a syllabus that was so positive and uplifting. She said, "So often teachers write what students can't do. I was so impressed at how you focused on the positive."


Friday
Today I finally got around to showing my students the classroom library and how to check out books with Booksource Classroom Organizer. They took some time to peruse the shelves and book boxes, and most students left class with a new book to read. Individual discussions with students about favorite books or what types of books they were looking for reminded me of just how important it is to make those personal connections with kids to show we care about them and their interests. That idea his home even more when I read this article on Slate about the two things students want from their professors more than anything else. I think it can also be said of K-12 teachers as well. 

I also had the privilege of meeting the newest Nerdy Book Club member, Sarah Andersen's baby boy, Jack William.

Not only is he absolutely precious, but as Brian Wyzlic pointed out yesterday on Facebook, it's a WONDERful thing that Jack Will was born in August (especially since Sarah was due in September!). And if you don't understand that reference, it's time for you to drop everything and read Wonder by RJ Palacio. What makes Jack's name even more special is that Sarah didn't even make the Wonder connection until Brian pointed it out. Such a happy moment or serendipity.

"I'm sorry and congratulations!"

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I was recently hired to teach 8th grade English at the school I attended from 5th-12th grade. Yesterday was the first day of school. It was a short first day but packed with emotion as I not only made my way back into the classroom, but also the place I called my second home for so many years. It feels good to be back amongst students, but it feels extra special to be in a place that is so familiar and full of so many fond memories. I am excited to see what this school year brings.


Every year on the first day of school I have students write about the following JK Rowling quote:

Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something. Unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all -- in which case, you fail by default. 

My favorite response of the day was, " When my friends fail, I'm [going to] say 'I'm sorry and congratulations.'" What an insightful response! That might be my pep talk for students who encounter stumbling blocks in their learning this year. What a great tag line to remind kids that failure, while frustrating, is just a building block to success.

First Day of School Excitement: Teacher Style

So the first day of school has come and gone. Many amazing teachers reflected on their first day of school and talked via social media about what an exhausting yet rewarding day it was. Some teachers even went further with their thoughts and wrote wonderful, heartfelt blog posts about it. Everything I read was positive and showed an excitement for the year ahead. There was no pining over the loss of summer, but rather a Nemo-like jubilation and celebration of learning to come.

If you want to feel good about the teaching profession, just read some of these first day of school blog posts from rock star teachers:

Middle school teacher Jillian Heise from the blog Heise Teaches & Writes wrote a post entitled Best First Day of School Yet. Need I say more? I don't think so. You should read what she has to say though.


Middle school teacher Lea Kelley from the blog Miss Kelley Writes talked in her post, What We Did On Day One, about her expertise in opening combination locks and being the female Mr. Feeny. :)


High school teacher Cindy Minnich from the blog Charting by the Stars writes in her post, Day One of Year Ten, that despite the characteristic first day of school exhaustion, "the excitement is still there."


One week before the start of the school year, high school teacher Alaina Sharp of SharpChemLove, wrote a post called My Goal This Year. What is it? TO HAVE FUN!


Previously a fourth grade teacher and now a newly initiated third grade teacher, Colby Sharp of SharpRead wrote a post called My First Day that talks all about his excitement over starting at a new school - new to teaching anyway. You see, the school isn't new to him at all: it's where he went to school as a child.


Fifth grade teacher Katherine Sokolowski of the blog Read, Write, Reflect says in her post, The Start of a New School Year, "I love getting a new group, finding our rhythm, and watching them grow."