The first day… 

…is the first day, no matter where or what I teach. 

I have learned that the first day is full of expectations: setting them, learning them, meeting them. 

Some things change, but the basic idea that we meet each other with the sort of expectation one might have on a blind date remains the same. 

My son approached his first day of pre-k with this type of wonder. 

What is her name? he asked. 

Will she be pretty? Is she nice? Will we take a nap? Can I play on the new playground? Does she know the ABCs? 

I’m sure my students saw it the same way. One kid even blurted out with, ARE YOU MEXICAN?  

Tomorrow is the day I’m really nervous for: my first day teaching the content. It’s like a second date at an Asian place, but you feel unsteady with the chopsticks… 

-CL