The Sunrise Story

I'm sitting here preparing for the first day of school. On my list is to write a note to the teacher I'm mentoring. It's her first "First Day of School" as a teacher. As I think about what to say to her, I reflect on my first "First Day" and I think about what I'd tell my "first year teacher self" on this First Day Eve. Here's some tips on your First "First Day" as a Teacher... 1. You are ready. It may not feel like it. You will check and re-check your plans a million times, but you've prepared for this moment. You got it! 2. Smile. Enjoy yourself! You set the tone in your classroom, so make it a positive and joy-filled place to be.  3. Breathe. There's so much to do and I know you want to do it all perfectly. Those students deserve the best teacher you can be! Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. What doesn't get done today, will get done tomorrow! 4. You are not perfect and that's ok! Be authentic, not perfect....

Yesterday in school, a student asked me this question, "Are you an author?" We were talking about reading and authors and writing and all sorts of things.  With a few extra minutes at the end of class, students began asking me questions about myself.  "What's your favorite color?"  "What food do you like?" "What's your favorite dessert?" "What's your favorite kind of meat?" (Yes, I got that question. Haha, loved it!) I love these questions because the answers connect us. When a student responds with, "Oh, I like chocolate chip cookies too!" it reminds me that we yearn for connection.  Anyway...I got lots of these favorite questions when I heard one of my boys ask me this, "Are you an author? Have you written a book?"  For a moment, I froze...scrunched my forehead to decide how to answer it and said, "I write. I'm working on a book. It's a book for middle schoolers, so maybe you guys could...