Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Convocation

Today is Convocation for our district. This is where all the teachers and administrators for the entire district get together as sort of a "kick off" to our year. Awards are given for exceptional service professionals, administrators and community involvement, and we usually have some sort of high profile, highly motivated guest speaker that will cheerlead us to start the year off right. I'm all for convocation - it brings everyone together and we get to reconnect with teachers we haven't seen all summer and teachers we rarely see because we are at different schools. Last year I was SO nervous! I only knew a handful of people from new teacher training and I was transported back into my childhood thinking and wondering if "anyone would want to be my friend?" (I thought those feelings would dissipate the older I got...it never occured to me that adults have the same insecurities about friendships and etc that adolescents do!)

This year I head to convocation with confidence and pride. I am no longer a first year teacher (Thank God), but am a second year teacher brimming with confidence and an understanding of what lies ahead of me. There are still some unknowns (school restructuring aside), but what a difference a year makes! This year I head to convocation actually having real friendships with people, having a "place at the table" persay, not wondering if people will want to be my friend, but knowing that they already are and that I am on par with these people professionally and personally, at least on some level. It is a strange ride, but exciting all the same. I am confident, but know I also have SO much more to learn. I am thankful, joyfully thankful that I do not have to have a nerve-wracking, mind-boggling first day of teaching ever again. Even with the unknowns this year, I still feel much more prepared than I did last year at this same time. So far I haven't had a sleepless night! That will probably happen on Sunday...the night before the first day of teaching. Oh boy! =) Last year was great, but this year can only get better! So with laptop in hand, I head out the door...it's time to begin another year.

Oops...have to have breakfast first! Man, would my Mom get MAD if she knew I left for school without having breakfast. =)

1 comment:

Dawn said...

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!!!"
or to quote Mabel....
"You aren't getting any DINNER until you eat BREAKFAST!!!"
>:)