gearing up

We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.”

 - Stephen King, 11/22/63

Whenever I'm out shopping in July, I get to the "Back to School" section in the store and have to turn away. "I'm not ready for back-to-school! The 4th of July was just last week!" But then August 1 hits, and I start to plan and prepare, and I start looking at the new pencils and notebooks and just like that, I'm ready to get back into another school year.

Some of you are still looking for jobs. Check out the websites at this previous post for suggestions of where to look for MN job postings. For some of you, this will be your first year as a teacher. You've finally graduated and secured your license and are thrilled to be planning for your first year of teaching - the culmination of so many hopes, dreams, tears, frustrations, and joys. You might want to check out this post about setting up a classroom. Some of you have been at it already a few years or more. No matter how long I teach, I still get excited for the beginning of the year - a new year holds so much promise!

If you're like most teachers I know, you've been scouring Pinterest for cool new bulletin board, organization, and unit/lesson planning ideas. Maybe you've read one of the books that are getting lots of buzz in schools, like  (I'll be writing more about these later on this year). Maybe you attended a conference or workshop this summer. Did you come up with a new plan for technology for the upcoming year? Now is a great time to review what you've pinned, notes you've taken, or workshop handouts. Taking some time now just before back-to-school-workshops start to review your great ideas will help ensure you make the time to implement them.

Whether you've worked all summer or not, take a few moments here or there in the fleeting days of your summer break doing what you enjoy most. For me, it's a walk along the river and dinner on a patio. Being refreshed at the start of the year, even if it doesn't last long, helps you feel ready to take on the roller coaster of teaching!

Next up - the annual first day of school read aloud suggestion post!