Cheer for the New School Year

Today was the first day of school for my district. This might truly be the first year (my 16th) that I felt like I was ready for the kids and ready for the work. Not to say that I wasn't ready in past years, or that I was totally prepared (to me, a prepared teacher is one who has all copies made, lists complete, and ducks in a row) for the day, but more along the lines of mentally, emotionally, and psychologically (?) prepared to take on Day One.

Not physically, though - it will take some time to train the old bladder to wait for the bell. Summers are rough on us teachers, in that respect, when we can indulge whatever our bodies want at any time.

I'm returning to the blog this year after lurking on a co-worker's blog all last year (see http://www.ericstemle.com/index.html) and several other teacher blogs that lent me a hand, and experiencing the results. I think I might need it this year, too, as challenges abound. Those abounding challenges aren't out of the ordinary, but I'm really seeking some ways to move my thinking progressively about this profession.

Last year I was invited to interview for a position with a firm outside of education. One of the questions, and I'm sure it's pretty standard, was where do I see myself in 10 years. I'm terrible at prognostication, and not very practiced at introspection, but I really have come to rely on my sense of intuition - so my response was that I see myself in 10 years doing whatever I am doing in the next 2 or 3. That seemed to be enough for the interviewer. And now I find myself back in the classroom, looking at the shining faces of students who I know and who I don't know, and I find myself in a spot that I've been in many times, but this time with a longer view.

Will I still be teaching in 10 years? Possibly. Maybe, even, "quite possibly". Like I say, I'm not good at predicting the future. But if today is any indication, my gut tells me "yes".

And by the way, I got that job - and declined to take it because I already have a profession.