It gets better.

What a difference a year makes. This time last year, I felt like I was barely holding my head above water. I was desperately trying to figure out rules and procedures, and trying to figure out my own identity as a teacher and role model.
About three weeks before school started this year, I started to get nervous. What if I just got lucky last year? What if my new bunch of kiddos thought I was a total weirdo? What if my kids from last year forgot about me?
When I walked in the door on the first day, I was greeted by a familiar sight. It was my little gang of students, waiting outside the double doors that lead to my hallway waiting for me to open it. In they came, telling me all about their summer, hugs all around, like we never missed a beat. It was the best feeling in the whole wide world infinity plus one.
When it came time for class, it was bizarre to see all of these unfamiliar faces fill the seats. Somehow my mind had still not accepted that my kids weren't mine anymore. Instead, they were walking into the classroom across the hall: Culinary! They were all grown up, leaving the proverbial nest, spreading their wings.
But it turns out my new batch is amazing. I can already see the big personalities: the class clown, the tough guy, the future chef, the athlete just looking to "get swole".
I also have a new population added to my class. The SPED department decided that the autistic kids would benefit greatly from my class, partly because of the material, but also because they thought the kids would thrive in my unique classroom dynamic. I'm super flattered that they thought that, and I must say that even though I didn't really know what to expect, I'm already blown away by all of them. I think they're going to teach me more this year than I could ever teach them!
Tonight, going into my much needed three day weekend, I will revel in this realization: Every year of teaching just gets better. Building relationships, building curriculum, building confidence.

Oh, and P.S....only two of my students came back pregnant!