First Day Labor Pains and Giving Birth To A New Year
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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.
And then it’s here . . . it’s time . . . they’re coming. The arrival is sometimes a bit traumatic. There is quite often a lot of confusion, a sense of uneasiness and sometimes a bunch of crying (and that’s just from the parents and kids). We might feel like we’ll never make it. We question whether we are adequately prepared for the enormous responsibility. We question our abilities and wonder if we’ll be ‘good enough’ to complete the task.
Yep, welcoming a batch of new kinders feels mighty close to welcoming a new baby. And like a new parent, when it’s all said and done, when that new batch of kindergarteners (our babies) start making progress, growing and learning beyond our wildest dreams, we, like a new mother, often forget the painful first days (child birth) with our students and how difficult it was. All the hard work it took to get them where they need to be is a bit of a distant memory as we bask in the beauty of the bright, beautiful kindergartener standing before us ready to embark upon first grade. But let me tell you, in the fall, after the first day of school, those labor pains are FRESH, and we all question whether we will be able to get them where they need to be, love them enough and give them everything they need.
Today I experienced those yearly labor pains and felt the excitement of welcoming my newest kindergarten class. I survived and so did they and . . . we even started laying the ground work for Daily 5 stations by learning routines, procedures and expectations while we explored and practiced using materials. I’m always of the mindset that it’s better to just jump in and get started . . . I breathed through the painful moments. It was shaky at times, not always pretty and some handled it better than others, but we were all brave enough to give it a go on the first day and we did it. Tomorrow will be even better and the next day better than the first until these labor pains are a distant memory.
Until then, I’ll leave you with some first day pictures.
(Pokey Pin Names)
Congratulations on the arrival of your new class. Enjoy them while they are little, be patient with them (and yourself), because before you know it, it will be May and they’ll be all grown up.
With more than 20 years of teaching experience, it is my pleasure to bring you my most favorite ideas and activities to keep young learners engaged and loving learning.
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!!
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.
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.
With nearly 20 years of experience as a full-time kindergarten teacher, I’m committed to creating a classroom where learning is joyful, engaging, challenging, and fun. Each day, I work to ensure that my students feel successful through instruction that considers their unique interests, learning profiles, and readiness levels. I believe that students should be excited to come to class and enjoy a myriad of hands-on activities that encourage exploration and discovery.
While I continue to teach full-time, I find so much joy in connecting and building friendships with teachers worldwide. It’s why I started this blog back in 2012. My hope has become a reality as I have been able to forge relationships with teachers, sharing ideas and building friendships beyond my little neck of the woods through professional development sessions and this blog.
So by all means, take some time to look around and explore A Differentiated Kindergarten. Gather some new ideas, fun tips, and most importantly, don’t forget to reach out and say, ‘Hi!’
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