New Atmosphere of Excitement

Tomorrow is the first optional work day of the year, and I'm actually excited about it! It's been a couple of years that I've been so excited to start a school year. Actually the last year or two or three I have not been all that excited to start a school year. I thought it was teacher burnout, but now I don't think it really was.

What could it have been? Well, let me tell you what I saw the few times I went into work in the last two weeks. I saw smiles. I suppose smiling teachers isn't such a strange thing, but the smiles this year have been bigger, lasted longer, and seem to be more genuine. Now the state has made some poor decisions of late that would make it hard for any teacher to smile, but I have seen these real smiles.

You know what I heard? I heard laughing. I heard conversations about all sorts of things, and in no voice have I detected any stress or strain. It was pleasant to just listen. I can't think of even one complaint in any of those conversations.

What did I feel? A sense of calm. A sense of joy. A sense of peace. All of which feel like a breath of fresh air.

Even when I was being told that I would have to teach Math, I was at peace. I don't love the decision, yet it's alright.

I am pretty sure I know why the change has taken place, and no, I will not put it in print. Yet every teacher who I have worked with over the last few years or so will probably know why. This is not a subtle bash-on-someone post, that is so not the point. I just felt that I needed to post about how I am feeling about the new school year, or I might just burst. I am truly excited! :)

**Update. I am adding this part, because the atmosphere at work isn't the only thing that makes me excited to go back to work. It is a pretty significant thing though. I am excited to be working with one of my BFFs. She and I make a great team, if I do say so myself. I know that I'll get some "little challenges" this year, like I always do, but for some reason that's okay. At least right now it is. I am very excited to see how this whole Responsibility Class is going to work out. I am excited, and nervous about the idea of community seating. How do I explain that to the overly anxious parent at Open House? I am excited for year 19, maybe because I am doing things differently this year. Maybe it's because things are changing. The state is getting harder to work for, so maybe this'll be my last here and that is freeing. Maybe I'll stick around and thumb my nose at the state and continue to do a great job regardless of how they treat teachers. I don't know, but I am very excited!