"In My Opinion . . ."
September 5, 2000
Today the flood gates opened, and eager, sweet seventh graders poured into my classroom. They began their junior high school year blessedly apart from the "upper classmen." We wisely divided the day: 7th graders touched in each class briefly during the morning, ate lunch, and trotted home. The oldtimers repeated the process in the afternoon (but much more brashly and raucously). There was no time for rules or other such boring, serious stuff. The seventh graders found out all the important things: who was in each class, where those classes were, and most importantly, how to open their lockers!
I don't know if anyone else still has the locker nightmare, but periodically I will dream of fighting my way to some obscure hallway on the third floor of my high school where I unsucessfully try to open my locker. I still wake in a cold sweat from this terror, although it is a rare occurence now. It's better that my little charges got to spend all their time with me breaking the code of the combination lock. I shared in their victories.
Tomorrow the real year begins. The "sevies" will feel slightly more at-home and confident as they battle their way through the halls. They will come in to my class excited about the new year. I will, too, because even after nearly 25 years in the profession, hope still springs eternal for me. That's the way it should be for all teachers.