First Day of School ….Jitters

This is my first year of not having a "first day of school."

WEIRD.

Let that sink in for a second. First year of no nerves that the kids won't like me. First year without a trendy new back-to-school outfit. Definitely no back-to-school breakfast today. New pens, highlighters and updated software? Not for school.

I keep asking myself, Do I miss the first day of school? Should I want to miss the anxious and excited feeling of meeting my new group of students? 

I do not miss the first day of school. The strict, no-smiles first weeks of school are not my style. Printing and copying enough paper for a bonfire is not environmentally-friendly. Lunch is 20 minutes, but really 5 minutes after the last student leaves, I run to the bathroom for the first time in hours, and I say HI to other teachers, past students, and then sit down. 5 minutes to eat. 

What I love about the first day of school? The kids. That is why I taught for 5 years. Those darn teenagers cast a line and I grab the bait. Every time. Each student has a dream and a passion and I act as an early investor in the business of their goals. Plus, I can make a math-hater convert to a numbers-lover in just a few months time. 

I love hearing on the first day, "I don't get math." "Math is my worst subject." or, "Miss, I don't like math and never will." HAHA

Not when I'm done with you. 

That is what I love about the first day of school. 

Do you think my new English clients in Santiago will tell me that their English is horrible?