Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you...I am 100% a summer girl. I love summer and everything about it. I can never get enough of the beach, baseball, outdoor eating, fresh local foods, parties, and all the fun with family and friends. So although this girl is summer obsessed, I have always loved, loved, loved back to school time. Growing up I loved going school shopping for new clothes, lunch boxes, and book bags. I laugh now when I think about all the Fall clothes we bought in August that we wouldn't be able to wear at least a few weeks. My family had a fun tradition where we would go shopping with my mom and grandmother and buy pretty much everything all in one day. We ended the day with a trip to Newport Creamery and when we got back to my grandparents' house we'd show off all our new digs to my grandfather. The excitement of the first day of school brings great memories for me. I enjoyed waiting for the bus with my brothers and neighbors. I can still feel the thrill of waiting to see who my teacher would be. There were no postcards in the mail or meet the teacher nights over the summer, you waited until you got to school on the first day to find out who your teacher and classmates would be. I loved checking out my fresh, new classroom and catching up with friends, whether I hadn't seen them since June or just saw them the previous day. It was a feeling of hope and adventure for the new year ahead.
In high school the new school year brought a lot of the same traditions, such as shopping and looking forward to seeing friends. But it also brought new adventures such as Fall sports, which we would start practicing for in the summer, and new schedules that you got to choose yourself. The buzz of meeting new teachers and friends was always a thrill for me.
College brought a whole new flood of back to school feelings. I was nervous, excited, and motivated. I commuted from home so I didn't have the added anxiety of moving away to school, but it was definitely a big change. I loved every minute of college and over the years I made lots of great friends and memories. Many of those memorable times took place in the Fall and the frenzy of a new year ahead.
As an elementary school teacher, my outlook on the new school year did not change much. I looked upon the new school year as a time to regroup, get back to a routine, create an inviting classroom for my students, and of course go shopping! Even though I treasured my leisurely summers and beach time, by the time it was winding down I was ready to go back to school. Every August I would start having first day of school anxiety dreams. I was the most nervous for a new school year as an adult teacher than I ever was as a child or student. Each year I would write out "New School Year Goals". Kind of in the same way we set New Year's resolutions in January. I would read them many times before school started and plan out how I would achieve each one as a teacher and for my students. I would revisit this often throughout the year and tweak and adjust as needed, but I never forgot about those goals that I set. It is a tradition I truly valued. Although I would joke that I was going to be missing my beach days, I was always truly happy to meet my new class and start a new year. I made sure my classroom was perfect and ready for my eager students and as I had done a million times before, picked out my perfect first day of school outfit. Each year began as a flurry of fun and hard work.
At the moment I am not teaching but I still hold the start of a school year close to my heart. I truly enjoy hearing from my teacher friends as they prepare for their new year. The emotion of this can be difficult, I do miss it but I also love what I'm doing now so it's all good. I'm excited for my family and my friends' kids who are getting ready to start school and I LOVE seeing all their first day of school and back to school photos. It's super fun to see the college in the town we live in buzzing back to life. New beginnings are all around us and it's refreshing and fun to be around.
Lastly, my absolute favorite thing about a new school year is photographs! My family has all of our first day of school photos and I can pretty much envision every single one without even looking at them. I can't wait to see everyone's back to school photos, keep em coming! Happy New School Year everybody!