Here in the Midwest, we go back to school really early. This year, our start date is August 13. As we begin to count down the field trips and continue to gut the school of old stuff, clean out bookcases, reduce the stockpile of “can’t do withouts” in the bathrooms, paint walls that are dusty and ready for something new…buy new furniture, move old furniture, and approach constant problems from new approaches…the call to overhaul tired classes for something new is now screaming in my ear.

Today I bought cream cheese boxes for crayons. I bought pencil sharpeners for every kindergartner, I have folders donated by a dear friend…she also donated the crayons and the glue sticks. I am planning the tool bag that we will issue every kindergarten student. This is an important part of starting school…new stuff…and the delight in knowing that “you can handle all this new stuff all by yourself.”

As the reading teacher, the daunting job of teaching 4,5,and 6 year old children to read, to write, and to take care of their belongings is a huge project. Most kindergartens begin the year with children who don’t know anything to children who can read. It’s no different at the Garden School. Giving every child what he needs is the trick. That’s why I am always delighted to present to parents the smallness of our classes and the determination of our teachers.

As I lovingly collect great tools for the children, and look through the books that we have, and the books I’ve written for class, and the games I’ve created for the kids, the wheels turn into the possibilities of all we can do this year. My goal is excellence in all things child related…no shyness there…

I will be teaching music and geography and circle time this year. My goals for music include a repertoire of songs children can sing, instruments they can play, and a new start in listening to the great masters.

Circle time will include a few minutes every morning about something new…a topic like mummies…the life cycle of a leaf…the body parts of a worm…how you digest food…colors…the story of Adam and Eve…you know…the fun stuff most kids love and most teachers don’t know anything about…it’s an outlet for years of collecting information that has no place to go…what can I say?

As I rearrange my classroom, clean the windows, polish the tables, make properly written name tags, find just the right paperwork, books to read, games to play…I can honestly say I’m excited…