First Friday

A hint of fall from the bush out front, which will soon graduate to a brilliant red. 

I always loved fall Fridays at school, especially if they were beautiful days.  Reaching that first Friday of any school year almost always provided a special sense of satisfaction.

After all, we'd been getting ready for the first day and the first week for several weeks prior to the first bell.  

Often the first week of school can make or break a teacher AND the first week also indicated how the next eight months and three weeks was gonna go.  

So far in this brand-new school year, I've talked to one teacher in the family.  That's my sister Barbara, and she said her week went great.  

She's serving as the English Department chair this year, and, as seems to be a perennial problem, her first major challenge involved textbooks.  

Making sure that every teacher in the department has enough books to operate can often present a major challenge as the books end up in Lord knows where during the previous school year. 

And, so Barbara has put in extra time running down the copies and trying to put in a user-friendly system, with the help of an invaluable staff member named Norma.   

The idea is that all English teachers  will have their anthologies, textbooks and selected novels when they need them AND that they'll know where to find them without having to launch a schoolwide search. 

Anyway, Barbara told me last night that the book situation seems to be under control. 

I also heard a little about the first week of school from Swiss Miss aka Laura.  She came over hoping to ride a horse last night, and that she did.  

Debbie and I were more than pleased to see that Laura has the horsemanship skills to do quite well with Lily.  In fact, she looks like a natural.  Lily seemed to like her, and I'm gonna have to make sure I don't lose my horse.  

I told Laura that she had experienced quite a cosmopolitan adventure, riding Lily, an Appaloosa (Idaho State Horse) while sitting on an Australian saddle for the first time. 

So, some world culture came together for Swiss Miss as she and Lily plodded down the lane, through the woods and down the road. 

Debbie and I walked along with the pair.  

That was after I decided to put Lefty up for the night.  Those nasty no-seeums had the poor itchy guy going nuts, so he got off lucky with a short ride, and I think he was perfectly happy to run loose in the barnyard while Lily was doing her work. 

Anyway, that aside, Laura told me her Advanced Placement history class is will give her quite a challenge.  She had an assignment to read, and the class watched a video. Then, she took a test.  Let's just say she figures on trying much harder next time.

Basically, she's getting acclimated to listening to teachers and dialects in a foreign tongue. Her English is superb, but there's still a period of adjustment.  

THE RULES:  that's what she heard in most of her classes, which brings out a clear difference in the school systems.  She is now attending an American public school vs. the one in Switzerland where she says students are there because they WANT to be there.  

Hence, probably a lot more rules involved here in America with the blend of students exhibiting all levels of motivation and interest in education. 

This first Friday will probably be pretty upbeat at all the schools.  For students, they've gotten past THE RULES and have probably reconnected with friends and met new friends.

For teachers, all that work over the summer in preparing for the big first week has either paid off or they may have to go back to the drawing board.  

Plus, it's a beautiful first Friday with a great weekend ahead.

As for me, the old retiree, I'm looking forward to hearing more from the rest of the family teachers when we get together for dinner tonight.

Should be quite a gabfest with 11 of us gathered around a table. 

Anyway, school buses are rolling by on their usual schedules, the homework has started for both teachers and students, and only 35 weeks left in the school year after this first Friday.  Let's hope for the best for all involved. 

Have a great day.