First-Day Thoughts From a Slightly Frazzled First-Year Teacher

Back by popular demand...it's your favorite travel-blogger-turned-working-schmuck!

What up blogiverse? It's been a while. (As my mom has repeatedly told me, both in person and in comments here.) Just so y'all know, I started like 7 different posts over the summer, none of which quite made it to the finish line. These will be turned into one giant mega-post in the not-too-distant future--I promise!--so stay tuned for that.

Anyway, here goes with a brain dump of the thoughts that crossed my mind over the course of my very first day as a full-time teacher:

Obligatory first day of school picture.

• I know I'm forgetting something.
• I can do this. I can do this. 
• Of course, I got a new student at 9:14 in the morning. There's still a full minute before the kids will be walking in the door.
• Damn, I got good at learning names!
• What am I forgetting?
• Those shoes are cute...wonder if they make them in my size? 
• When's lunch?
• Man, these kids can't stop talking. 
• Yes...lunch time!
• Crap, lunch is over already?
• Man, these kids really can't stop talking. 
• I know I'm forgetting something.
• Well, I hope everyone got on the right bus. 
• Wow, the day just flew by. 
• Wow, we got nothing done today.
• *big exhale* I made it. 

I was astonished to find that I actually wasn't that nervous. I mean, sure, I had a few first-day butterflies, but no panic whatsoever. I guess knowing that I was as prepared as I was going to be made it possible for me to just focus on my students when they arrived.

It probably also helped that I had my (many) mishaps when I was in Europe. At the apparent insistence of the universe, I learned that even when shit happens, I'll get through it.

A healthy attitude for a teacher to have, I guess.