First Days

"I love first days. Oh, they terrify me. I hardly sleep the night before. I spend hours wandering my apartment before, worrying. I plan meticulously. This is especially true if I'm nervous. Last night was no different.

Today was my first day observing classes. It's one of the first steps towards me becoming a teacher. I woke up at six this morning (I haven't gotten up close to that early since high school seminary). I had to wear a skirt, something I do not do normally. I was feeling...not very much like me."
(I wrote that right after that first day. What follows came a week later.)

When I walked into the school that first day, I will admit I still wasn't sure if teaching was right for me. I had put myself in that direction because I felt like there was nothing else I could do with what I love that would be practical.

Now, after this first week, I know that this is what I want to do. I love those kids. They are difficult, but they are wonderful. They are just starting to learn about the world, how hard it really is, how marvelous it can be. Every day, something new is opened to them. Oh, the drama is the same (I nearly started laughing when I heard "So, he asked me to be his girlfriend", and "I'm not speaking to her" from those ninth graders, because how many times did I hear those phrases in high school?)
They are ingenious. they come up with so many clever ideas and questions, I wonder why society doesn't utilize them more. Every science fiction plot was right; any bad guy looking for a clever solution just has to use the brain of a teenager!

I can't wait for this week. It is going to be even better. Hopefully, I'll get to teach at least part of a lesson at some point this week...my first time really teaching kids! I can't wait to see each of the days to come.