Razzle Dazzle 'Em

To say that the past three weeks have been overwhelming would be an understatement....and I haven't even starting teaching the children yet!  I'm not complaining, I promise.  Every step of the "get ready" process has been so fun.  I've learned a lot in the past few weeks, and every time I think I like my classroom just the way it is, I seem to think of at least three other things I need to add to the always-in-flux list I keep on my phone.  Despite the feelings of slight unpreparedness, I am genuinely so excited for the first day of school!  I can't wait to officially meet my first group of kiddos.

Technically, I've already met some of my students.  Monday was Open House, and I can't lie to you and say I wasn't nervous.  To be perfectly honest, Open House probably scared me more than the first day of school.  Nothing like jumping in feet first and meeting parents, students, siblings, and various extended family members before school's even started, right?  Right!  I had very little idea what I was doing, but I shook a lot of hands and answered questions and smiled, and I feel like it went well.  One of my favorite musicals/movie musicals is Chicago, and there's a great number in the show called "Razzle Dazzle".  I couldn't help but smile to myself and think about how that's what first year teachers are kind of doing.  I'm not saying that myself, or any other first year teacher, doesn't know what he or she is doing, but I do think there's a certain amount of "faking it 'til you're making it" that occurs in those first few weeks of figuring everything out....

So here I am now.  Open House was as successful as I could have expected it to be, staff development went really well, and now the first day of school is only three days away.  I've made my copies and soaked up as much information as my overloaded brain can take, and I'm going to make every attempt to "razzle dazzle" those kids on Monday.  There's a great Henry Ford quote that says, "Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars.  Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will, and energy to execute your ideas." I may not have a perfect first day.  In fact, I'm almost positive it won't go exactly the way I've played it out in my mind.  But I am enthusiastic about being a teacher to my students.  I've found that positivity and enthusiasm can go a long way toward convincing yourself that your know what you're doing.  Who knows...with a little enthusiasm I may even "razzle dazzle" myself.