Pajamas, Kleenex, Couch

It's Friday night, and I am sick.  The first cold of the school year.  Last year I was more resilient.  But it caught everyone in the first month...kids and teachers alike.  I have just finished watching two chick flicks, and I have traded in teacher clothes for pajama pants and a giant sweater.  And laying on the couch for the rest of the night. 

This is not my dream of an evening, but it is a relief.  After a few days of cold meds and an attempt at a perfectly timed sleep schedule so I could do my job this week, there is no pressure.  No consideration of last minute sub plans at 5 am...Should I write them?  Should I just go there and do all of these things myself and try not to breathe on anyone?  Where did I really get this cold anyway?  Was it when I was grading the mound of papers on my desk?  Did someone sneeze on their homework and then transfer it to me? 

These are passing thoughts, but not very comfortable ones.  

Ever Present, Ever Good

 It is now decidedly fall. And school is in full swing, and lots of things have changed since the summer already. Like many people, I am back to candles, blankets on the couch, and early mornings with coffee that wait a little longer for the sunrise.

I am also back to teaching.  I did not do the pencil-shuffling-school-supply-organization this year. Kind of surprising.  I didn't obsess about certain things in my classroom.  Instead I lovingly put certain things back in their rightful place.  And I didn't do tons of back-to-school shopping for teacher clothes either.  I bought jewelry and shoes, and wondered when I had become that person.  In this way, the transition was seamless. I have teacher clothes that work for a while. And the pencils were already in the desk drawer where I left them in June.  And now the lessons I am using just need fine tuning.

Reminders

Tonight I am need of these reminders.  I found the equivalent of the songs I've been listening to today on YouTube in these forms.  God is big and very very good.  Even when I am still and small and unsure. 

Dear Miss Christians

Every year during the first week of school, I get a letter from every one of my students. 

This is my favorite. 

I make them do it...it's not of their own volition...but it is a very good start to the year.  They sit at their desks, and shake out the stiff summer handwriting and write furiously for a little while and tell me interesting things. 

I sit back and learn about these people, and marvel at their creativity and thoughtfulness and honesty and self showing up on the page.  They tell me what they are scared about sometimes, and also what they love.  I keep these all year and then give them back to them in June.  And in June they are very different people.  So the letter marks a lot. 

Anchor

I woke up before my alarm clock rang this morning, and the moon was beautiful at such an early hour.  It was in this moment that everything felt like fall.  Not because it's suddenly cold, but because school is here, and 'Miss Christians planning lessons' is (sort of) happening again.  And because the seasons turn 'like that' for me.  

As I was looking at the moon, I heard lyrics on the radio that talked about the creativity of God when He designed the moon and tides to work together.  It is creative.  Who else would think of that?  

Recently I reread part of a book I read in college.  I gave it to Jenna a while ago, and she is reading it now.  So I paged through it on Labor Day when we were together.  It is always interesting to revisit the things you underlined in earlier seasons in life.  I find that they are usually cyclical and hold as much power (or more) to astonish me when I see them again later. 

First Day Confidence and Care

Making it through the first day of school this year was unlike any other year I've experienced in teaching.  And when I said 'making it through', I mean just that.  No matter what, no matter how planned out or serene you are, you are in the mix of some sort of chaos.  And you just go with it.  Everyone does.  This year it was much easier to figure out.  

Yesterday I picked up on all of these millions of things in the hallway...when kids are passing through my door and turning around to find their next class and when they've got that lost look in their eyes.....and that's what made me tired at the end of the day.  I witnessed so many things happening.  And the super absorbency of my thought life eventually needed to shut down.

But the day worked.  And now the school year is REALLY here.