How Teachers Really Feel About the New Academic Year

Being a writer and a teacher has been one of my biggest achievements in life. They both give me a sense of satisfaction and joy. As the summer comes to an end and the new academic year begins, I am sort of excited and nervous. I have been a teacher for the past 13 years, the students I once taught are now in college. It is such a mixed feeling of pride and joy to think of your students grown up.

We all talk about how students feel about the end of summer and the beginning of the school year, but what do teachers think?

Well let me tell you today, we have mixed feelings just like our students. We are excited to see our new students, to decorate the classrooms, to begin a new year on a positive note. Yet we are nervous and pray that we do our best as teachers; will we be able to satisfy the needs of all of our students?

We are as nervous as our students! Students look up to us and feel like we are just so super human and we have it all together, believe me that is so NOT true. I have so many friends that are teachers and we are all trying to act like we are cool and we know what we are doing, but the truth is we don't. Every year we have a new group of students who have different needs. They come from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Sometimes the things we have prepared or used in the past year will not work for the new group that is coming, actually they never will. So as teachers, every new academic year, we evolve as human beings and teachers. We are reborn as everyday brings new successes and challenges.

So here is a toast to my fellow teachers -- let's begin this new year with a new set of eyes and a fresh outlook, a heart that is ready to smile and a willingness to participate and in the growth of our students!