Day 1 - My First Day at Central

I survived! I'm exhausted.
It was a wonderful day, but I'm tired. I think I found my way around the school pretty well. I didn't get too lost. It was funny though: the school is so huge, there were others that didn't know their way around too - and they work there!
Everyone made me feel super welcome. We started the morning greeting the kids. The counselors (and others) welcomed the kids in the main entrance with big smiles, hugs and a pleasant "buenos dias!"
I hadn't really thought about my expectations of the kids; I think I was more concerned with getting lost! I was so surprised to watch the boys and girls parade into the school decked to the nine in coats and gloves and scarves. They were precious. ( I say parade because literally, they are welcomed with such enthusiasm that it reminded me of a parade!)
I'm still trying to find the right words, but the children came in so incredibly respectful. Maybe that's the right word. They didn't seem frazzled or hurried. Their hair was perfectly braided, donned with bows, gelled into the most perfect faux hawk or maybe just combed meticulously. Regardless, these children could have been walking into church on Christmas and looked appropriate. I was so impressed. Breakfast was served by the kindest, sweetest ladies. They wheeled breakfast door to door, room to room and served the boys and girls with love and smiles. I was awed. I couldn't understand their exact words, but I could understand the love and affection clearly.
I found the intermediate cafeteria, along with half of the school, and enjoyed a program - Nana Puddin'. It was great, and the children loved it! They really would've laughed if they had seen me fall out of my chair! I did! I had the walkie talkie, my iPad, my phone, multiple copies of the map, and no telling what else in my arms and well, just missed the chair. Gosh, I was horrified.
I was fine. I tweeted it, and somehow, that made it all better.
Lunch was another funny time. I ate with two 1st grade classes, and they watched every bite I took. I enjoyed a corn dog, tater tots, green beans and a whole banana! Apparently, I didn't open my grape juice correctly, but they coached me up. The food is always a big topic of discussion during the Ambassador Exchange. I have to say, the food was very good. I'm curious about the cafeteria grant that Central was awarded a few years ago. I think I'll test the food again tomorrow!
The day was really great. Dismissal was exciting. They are incredibly organized and the Central staff and students are wonderful.
I'm excited to get into the classes more tomorrow and get to know more of the kids and staff. There's so much to process, so much disillusionment and so many similarities AND differences. What a day!  

Trading Spaces - Tomorrow's the Big Day!

There’s some internal, deep seeded clock that works in teachers. It’s like a biological educator clock. Before the calendar changes to August, my body starts waking in the night, jotting down odd ideas, random thoughts, and urgent epiphanies that I cannot fathom how I just thought of them. Then, just like I was 7, I pick out my first day of school clothes, go to bed early, and lay awake for hours anticipating the new year.

It’s weird to have that first day of school excitement in November. I haven’t even chosen my first day outfit, and I already have butterflies in my tummy. Tomorrow, I “trade spaces” with my friend and colleague Cynthia Jaird at Central Elementary in Lewisville. Our schools are not terribly far apart; however, they are very different in many ways.

I have never worked on a Title One campus. The extent of diversity on my campus, sadly, is how new your Justice outfit is. My campus, McAuliffe Elementary, has 471 students. Central has almost 1,000 students. Their campus is very new; our campus is 27 years old. Most of my students walk. We have 2 buses. I have no idea how many buses they have. The Central staff is double the size of mine.

For the past two years, 5^th grade students from Central and McAuliffe have participated in a student exchange program. Just like students travel around the world to study abroad, we travel across town – for a week. Hey, it’s elementary school.

This year, we decided that it would be a good experience for us to exchange first and model some of the ways to use the blog and the website created to follow our adventures. It sounded great initially, and we committed to 3 days. (Our students exchange for 4 to 5 days.)  I think we both panicked and decided 2 would be better. So, I start at Central Elementary tomorrow as the principal.

Cynthia gave me the heads up that they might all talk Spanish to me just to freak me out. Little do they know that my 13 year old has been teaching me Spanish phrases; hey, at least I can find food and the bathroom!

I am really excited about seeing different classrooms. I have wonderful teachers, but it will be fun to see a new set of faces! I’ve heard great things about the staff, and I know the kids will be precious. Our schools may be different in a lot of ways, but kids are kids – and I love the kids.

I am super excited about tomorrow. I think I have narrowed my outfit down to something with boots: I want to be able to walk around the whole building all day! Plus, suits are stuffy, and heels make my feet hurt.

I am going to learn so much! I just hope I don’t mess anything up too terribly! I hope they like me. What if no one talks to me and I feel completely ridiculous all day?! It’s only two days; I’ll be fine. I know they’re nice. What if I lose a child? I don’t even know their names! I need to get a map. Pockets. I can put the map in my pocket just in case I get lost, or better, I could take a picture of it with my phone! I wonder what they’ll have for lunch. Maybe I should take mine. What if I can’t find the restroom? Wow, this could be a very long night.