Today public schools opened for business and welcomed all the customers.
Do I feel a pang of excitement or loss at this time? Not really. The first year it seemed funny to be not going back.
However , I do have memories of school opening time. As a student the first day of school was always exciting. We got to go back and play with kids. I'm not sure where the education part came in. I don't remember my first day of school. I had been to the school many times as preschoolers were invited for different days. Church and Sunday School were held in the school.
My kids on a school starting day
One of my new gr 7 classes.
Now the first day of school was much different when you were a teacher. I went back to the school for the last ten days of August to get ready for the year. You know...get the room set up, find the text books, make up unit plans, make up a yearly plan plan with other staff. This took time out of my summer but I always thought it was well worth it to be ready at the first day of school opening.
Now the first day of school was always exciting as the kids came back and they were swinging from the lights. I don't think it was excitement about seeing me or getting an education. They were excited about seeing each other and comparing all the classes they were in to see who they were with. Then they started to scheme and go to the office to get classes changed so they could be with their friends.
Well another school opening has come and gone and I'm not really missing it.
We live on a street that leads directly to the school. Usually there is a lot of traffic in the morning and afternoon when kids go to school. This morning there wasn't much for traffic. I wondered why? Later it hit me. There's road construction and the parents had to take a detour so they couldn't drive down my street.
Tom and I talked about school opening, which it does tomorrow, while we walked around our neighborhood school this evening. Our kids went there, and I spent many years teaching there. Neither of us misses it, and in fact we are quite relieved to be done with it all.
ReplyDeleteTeaching is challenging but I can always look back to the good times. And I'm glad I don't have to go back.
DeleteI enjoyed seeing your photos and a very handsome man your younger version is!
ReplyDeleteWell, thanks. I find it's hard to believe it's me in those photos.
DeleteI don't have children going to school but I always mark the return to school as the end of summer and the beginning of Fall. I'm sure you've been away from teaching for so long that you don't miss getting ready for the new school year. There are lots of other things to keep you busy. I like all the photos you've shared and the one of your two children getting ready for school.
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising how busy retirement is.
DeleteIt's fun to hear about your teaching days and see pictures as well. Even though I was not a teacher I am still very aware of the start of school each year. Back to school time was special when my kids were young and it also ties in with the start of Fall. However, this year school here started on August 15th and that seems too early to go back!
ReplyDeleteThey are experimenting with different year formats. Most parents made a fuss about the beginning of the school year to encourage their kids to get a good start to the year. The fuss was well worth it.
DeleteSweet memories, I still remember the first days at school again, specialy the smell of the school!
ReplyDeleteYes, the old rural schools had a particular odor.
DeleteHello, our schools opened yesterday for the new school year. My neighborhood is small and all the children are older now. We no longer see the school buses. Love the photos. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteOur neighborhood is made up mostly of seniors. Since there's a neighborhood school the bring kids in from various parts of the city.
DeleteI usually went into the school two weeks before first day. Otherwise, parents visited with scared little kids, and wanted a parent teacher interview! DIfferent at the upper levels! I taught JK - gr. 8.
ReplyDeleteMost teachers find that they need ten days or two weeks to get ready.
DeleteI looked at the picture of you with all those textbooks and it brought back old memories. I'm glad you still share these pictures on your blog. I like old memories like this one. :-)
ReplyDeleteThose days seem like yesterday.
DeleteI love reading about your time as a teacher. These photos are wonderful. We go out walking early every morning, and all summer the streets are pretty quiet. Now they are full of kids walking and riding bikes. School season has begun!
ReplyDeleteThere was always somebody who took pictures at school all year. At the end of the year teachers could go through the piles of photos and pick what they wanted.
DeleteI imagine you're relieved to no longer have to think about first days of school!
ReplyDeleteI'm relieved but look back with a positive view of what I did.
DeleteI have noticed kids out and about yesterday morning and this morning heading to school, but as I don't have kids myself, the comprehension of times that they're in and out gets a bit foggy, aside from the first day of school.
ReplyDeleteThere are parts of the population who don't have much interaction with public schools.
DeleteTook a few years not to get nostalgic on the 1st day
ReplyDeleteYou've got that right. There are quite a few routines that stick with you.
DeleteSchools here started last week. What nice memories you have about the first day of school. I like seeing your old photos, great memories, Red.
ReplyDeleteWhen you're my age all of your photos are old!
DeleteSchool starts tomorrow here. I'm glad to be done with it and I'm glad our kids are done with it! I always preferred when they were home for the summer or for school breaks, when we had lots of time for them to play and talk.
ReplyDeleteMy mom, who retired back in the nineties, says she still thinks about school every single day (in a good way).
Your Mom must be my age. I retired in 1997. Yes, I think of school every day.
DeleteSchool started here on Tuesday. It was fun to see the kids getting picked up by the bus. This time of year I feel very nostalgic. The start of a new school year always brings back fond memories.
ReplyDeleteSome great memories for you putting this post together. I enjoyed reading and seeing your photos.
ReplyDeleteEven though I taught 1st grade, I would have written a very similar post as yours. I also went back several weeks earlier to start decorating the room and organizing everything. It was so very exciting and I felt like I'd be adopting another 24 kids each year. I loved it also, but I don't really miss it now. Gosh... It's been 14 years for me. My granddaughter just started middle school and was nervous, but says she's enjoying herself now. She would have loved you for a teacher.
ReplyDelete