Having said that, there is something about new beginnings that I love. To borrow a quote from Anne of Green Gables, “Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it... yet.”
These are a few of my favorite things about a new school year, before the students set foot in the classroom:
- stacks of books
- freshly laminated name tags
- a clean white board
- sharp pencils
- empty notebooks
- straight rows of desks
- a colorful, organized schedule
- completed (almost) checklists
- new markers
But nothing compares to my favorite things about a new school year, after the students set foot in the classroom:
- the nervous and excited chatter of a first day
- broken pencil tips
- eraser dirt
- hand-drawn pictures
- dull crayons
- crooked desks
- scattered supplies
- sweet notes from students
- laughter
An empty classroom, while organized and clean and neat, is nothing compared to seeing the evidence of life, of creativity, of God's very own image-bearers, placed into my care. It will truly be a privilege to live life with these 20 children for the next nine months.
