back to school

I began teaching elementary music in February, because the previous teacher quit mid-year. I was very stressed this past spring. Three weeks after I started my job, the classes began their spring programs and plays and it was constant anxiety and stress until the end of of the school year in May. I vowed that I would be prepared at the start of this school year, and I told myself that I would go in to work once a week during the summer just so that I would feel prepared and not stressed this coming school year. But guess what happened? I enjoyed my summer and the lack of stress so much, that I never went in to school to prepare.

School began on Tuesday, August 30. On Monday the 29th, every grade at school had orientation at different times. I went to each child's orientation, and worked all day in between. I helped Mr. Anderson (my music superior) at the H.S. for several hours, and got my classroom physically ready, and made lesson plans for the week. It was a difficult and very long day, and I came home exhausted, overwhelmed, and full of anxiety and stress. I regretted not going in over the summer and I hated that I felt so unprepared for the following day!

I got home after bedtime, and all the boys were already asleep. I felt bad that I didn't get to say goodnight to them on such an important night--the eve of the beginning of a new school year! I began to cry and cry, and I asked Josh to please give me a blessing. He was very kind, and he fulfilled my request. Afterwards, he was talking to me. He said "What are you so nervous about? You did this last year, you know what to expect, and you're good at what you do, so why are you feeling so upset?" I responded, "Because now I can't just SIT anymore! Now our lives will be governed by constant schedules and never-ending things to do!" I laughed after saying it out loud, because it did sound rather silly, but I felt so much better finally just admitting it, too. I associated teaching school with the constant stress that I felt last spring, and I just knew that once school started, I would be full of stress and anxiety again. Summer never felt so good to me, and going back to school never seemed so difficult!!!

Unlike me, the boys were all excited to begin school the next morning. They woke up early and ate breakfast and changed their clothes, and they had gotten all their school supplies packed into their backpacks, all on their own! Then they all waited for me to finish getting ready (I think I was still dragging my feet)!!! 

This was the loot that Jonah and Micah had to take:

Ammon is now a 6th grader. This is the first year that he doesn't have a homeroom teacher. He has 7 periods of classes. At orientation the evening before, we walked to all the classes and met all the teachers. He was so excited for school to begin and couldn't wait to go!!! He bought this particular shirt with his own money, and chose to wear it on the first day of school (he's a big Boise State football fan):

Micah had been crying every night for a week before school started, because he (like me) also didn't want summer to end and he didn't want to go back! But after going to the 2nd grade orientation the day before and meeting his new teacher Ms. Schauss, he decided that he did, in fact, want to go back to school after all! He was looking forward to seeing friends and playing at recess again! The twins chose to wear their new monkey shirts on the first day:

I put Jonah and Micah in the same class again this year. Ms. Schauss taught Ammon in 4th grade, and she was his favorite teacher ever. She moved positions to the 2nd grade this year, and she's been a great teacher! Jonah was so happy to be going back to school! He'd been looking forward to it, and he's so happy to be a big 2nd grader! Jonah's backpack broke last year, so he got to pick a new one this year, and he chose a cool Phineas and Ferb one!

Kanyon is attending the Pioneer/CDC preschool again this year. He goes everyday in the afternoons, which changed from the schedule of every other morning he had last year. He was ecstatic to go again, and he couldn't wait to wear his new shoes and his new mario clothes! He was so excited when we bought him both things because he felt grown-up like the other boys! He has loved preschool this year, and is a totally different boy than last spring! He looks forward to school every day, and is happy, and his teachers are just loving him and his great attitude and learning capabilities this year!

And as for me...well, after the first day of school, I came home and said to Josh "I'm not sure why I was freaking out. School was awesome today!". In the past month, I've only come home crying twice, and I feel like I'm finally starting to get in the groove of it!