To a teacher our year starts the first day of school.  We don’t have to wait for January for our new beginnings.  So Monday my new beginning starts.  My excitement and worry  levels soar up and down. One moment I can’t wait but the next I feel completely unprepared.

This year, as many of you, know I’m teaching technology elective this year. Since it has not been offered at my school before I get the ‘how fun for you’ and the next question is ‘so what are your plans for this class exactly?’ I mostly want to say ‘same plans as you’ but I’m nice and usually say ‘I want this class to be the class that pushes them while being the most fun they have all day.’ That will get you some weird looks. The odd thing,  the weird looks mostly come from teachers. The parents usually say it’s going to be awesome then. But why on Earth should I be only one having fun? Then I think about how lucky I am that I’m looking at my new year and thinking it’s going to be fun.

If your back to school week has been like mine ‘fun’ and ‘kids’ are not words spoken the most. You keep hearing ‘common core’ and ‘rigor’ and ‘procedures.’ I think we are loosing site of the fact we are dealing with children as well as the fact we have one of the most fun jobs in the world. Think about it. No one becomes a teacher bc they are good at raising lexile scores and make lots of money. If so,  please do something else. Work for a text book company.  Yesterday a local church brought us lunch.  During lunch I was sitting with 2 other teachers and my 3 administrators. We were laughing so hard I was doubled over crying. Of course the teacher we were messing with wasn’t but he wanted to. Anyway one of the ladies from the church said ‘Y’all know aren’t supposed to be laughing this hard, especially the principal. You’re supposed to be tough.’ Is this how people see us? Gosh I hope not but I think it maybe. It’s heartbreaking.

Please do me a favor and go into this year focused on the kids and having fun.  Yeah I know we have common core to worry about but if you remember that we have a fun job it’s going to be a great year.

Lastly I leave with you a Ignite from one of my favorite people,  Dean Sharski,  about how adults should have more fun.  He has it figured out,  why he’s one of my favorites.