Ready or not, school is coming

“School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside” – Lon Watters

August is one of my favorite months because preseason football kicks off and for you parents out there of school age children, it’s your kick off to back-to-school season. The stores are filled with school supply lists and isles of notebook paper, crayons, backpacks and pencils. The annual ritual of school supply shopping becomes apocalyptic in the stores’ aisles as parents start looking for the hard-to-find items on the list, hoping somehow it was just put in the wrong place so they don’t have to visit another store. Think of it as an adult scavenger hunt.

My thoughts also turn to the teachers who eagerly await new and familiar faces locating their classrooms and assigning desks. "A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open." ~ Frank Zappa.

Have you ever had a teacher who inspired you to work harder or pursue a particular goal? Students who are inspired by their teachers can accomplish amazing things, and that motivation almost always stays with them. I can still name several teachers as the ones who fostered their love of teaching and I still credit my love of writing, art, as well as my job I currently have to them. It is not always easy to change a student’s life, which is why it takes a great teacher to do so. Some just need an extra push like the student whose math grade is just a few points shy from the A that will give them a 4.0 GPA; others may be going through something troubling in their personal lives and need someone to talk to. Whatever the student needs to help them excel, a life-changing teacher will be there for them.

Parents no longer have the leisurely mornings of summer. Mornings are now replaced by the rush of getting the kids up, fed, dressed, and out the door in time for class, without forgetting lunch or backpacks. Nerves are not yet frayed worrying about good grades or making the varsity team. Soon will be the late night reminders of what forms need to be signed and returned. Not to mention having your son announce at eight o’clock in the evening that his math assignment he’d forgotten about is due tomorrow morning and he needs your help with the new core math problems.

Not every moment is enjoyable as a parent; it wasn’t for you, and it isn’t for me. Breathe in. Breathe out. You’re not alone. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin.