I have a dear friend who finished her PhD in the spring. Shortly after graduation, she interviewed for and was offered a tenure-line position at a quality university. A month ago she received a letter in the mail from her new university welcoming her to the program and outlining her orientation schedule.
The letter began, "Dear Professor Moore."
She did a double-take. She told me, "I looked at the letter and thought, Who's that?" Then I realized it was me. And then I threw up."
She's absolutely going to make it.
This fall marks my thirteenth year of teaching, the last eight of which have been at the university-level. Tomorrow is the first day of classes.
Admittedly, I still get slightly nervous on the first day. Earlier this evening I carefully packed my work bag, wrote down my assigned classrooms, and picked out what clothes I'm going to wear in case I'm incapable of making a decision tomorrow morning. (This closet-induced mental paralysis has been known to happen. I stand there like a lost child, mindlessly sliding hangers along the rod as I give myself a weak pep-talk: Think, Robin, think! You can do this. You're capable of dressing yourself!)
Tonight I'll triple-check my alarm clock. Tomorrow morning I'll throw out half of my cereal instead of eating it all like I normally do. And then, at the moment when I pass out copies of the syllabus and begin talking to my new students, I'll be just fine.
This twinge of nervousness, pesky as it is, reminds me that I care. Plus, I love that I can sit down with my seven-year-old who's just two days shy of starting second grade, and tell her that I understand how she's feeling.
It doesn't matter if you're climbing on the school bus, watching your children as they're climbing on the school bus, or facing a group of college students from the front of the classroom. Everyone feels these first days of school.
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And to think after a couple weeks into things it's all old hat to me now. Ha. Just kidding. Enjoy your first week!
ReplyDeleteMay your first day of school begin a year filled with wonder, awe, eureka moments and lots of laughs....
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great first day! You're going to be awesome, I'm not even worried.
ReplyDeleteWe started school over hear at the Bunker Academy today and for our first day so far I am wearing flowered pajama pants and an old blue t-shirt with a hole under the arm. Classy, right? I bet you look a lot nicer on your first day.
I wrote a similar post on the first day jitters today as well! It's amazing how, after all these years, I still am a bit anxious at the beginning of another year!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the vote of encouragement, Ami. I hope that the Bunker Academy has a wonderful year, as well! (You continually amaze and impress me, my friend!)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Maria!
ReplyDeleteYou're such a quick learner. ;)
ReplyDelete