The first day of school has come and gone, and I’m still here to tell about it. Whew! If you are a kindergarten teacher, I know you know what I mean by “whew!” Each year it’s the same thing, we anxiously and nervously anticipate the arrival of a new set of kindergarteners who will become part of our school family for the next 180+ days.
It struck me today just how very similar all this first day of school business is to preparing for the arrival of a new baby and then giving birth. We spend hours preparing our room for the new arrivals. We make plans and give careful consideration to how we will welcome them and make them feel safe and loved.
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(Alphabet mat for beginning guided reading) |
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(Pokey Pin Names) |

What font did you use to get their names in Pokey Pin form?
KG Primary Dot it’s free on TpT from KG fonts
Awesome! I loved it! I hadn’t thought of it myself!
Had my first day today, also! I am so glad there is only one first day a year!!!!!!
Thank you for posting this. Yesterday was our first day and everything you wrote is to a “T”. I haven’t given birth but WHOA did I forget how tough that first day is. We CAN do this!!
We’re on day 11 and you are so right! It feels like you are giving birth every year. But every day gets better than the day before.
Thank you for posting this. It has been 2 years since my first day of kindergarten. I knew how challenging the first day could be, but you also forget just how challenging it can be until you are right in the middle of it thinking “Oh my…What did I just get myself into? How am I going to make this work?” I know it will, it just takes time. Even though I know, overall my first day today was really good, deep down I could help but think it wasn’t good enough or smooth enough. Thank you for making me feel that I am not alone with these mixed up feelings of “labor pains and giving birth.”
You expressed my feelings so well! I always spend the first few weeks of kindergarten convinced I’m moving up to first grade next year :). There are so many routines I want to teach them right now that it is so hard to practice patience and take it slow enough. Thanks, as always for your uplifting posts!!
Amen!!! I had the same thought when my classroom wasn’t completely finished on the first day last week. I told myself the when I had my two kids their rooms weren’t ready either and we were just fine.
Happy First Week of School!!!
First week of school is a mixed of emotions and you just can’t be certain of what it can bring! But no matter what, I love the way it goes especially with preschoolers. Everyday new experiences are made and I am just so happy to see how they progress.