Friday Letters -- 2012/13 School Year Edition

Dear 4:45am, you come far too early in the morning.  Dear Coffee, I need you to up your game.

Dear Open House, you are no fun.  Sure, it's great to meet parents, but you never give me enough time with them.  Everything is so hectic, with parents trying to navigate the school and figure out their child's schedule.  Plus, you keep ending up being on Jason's birthday, which is just cruel.  Oh, and you make me have a 13hour day, which is REALLY cruel.  No wonder I'm fighting a losing battle with my coffee this morning!

Dear Flip Flops and Shorts, I will miss you.  Dear Dress Pants and Cardigans, welcome back to the wardrobe.

Dear Classroom, I'm excited to be in you another year, and I'm glad you're much more organized than you were this time last year.  Please don't start smelling like sewage again this year.  Did you hear me, sinks?  I don't want to have to buy lots of air fresheners again if I don't have to.

Dear Fellow Teachers, I've loved having some time to hang out, eat lunch together, and attend meetings together.  Sorry in advance for being MIA most of the time during the semester.  We'll catch up on the next workday, I guess.

Dear Students, this semester is going to be challenging.  I'm trying some new things, but I will try to pretend like they've been my policy for years.  Follow my rules, do what I ask, and we'll survive this semester together.  For goodness sake, put those cell phones away!  With the exception of cheating, those phones are my biggest pet peeve and the easiest way to get on my list... and you don't want to be on my list!  My goal this semester is for you to understand science better and for you to hopefully like it a little more than you did coming in.

Dear Former Students, I've loved running into you the past few days around campus.  When you smile, yell "Mrs. Self!," and run over and hug me (yes, these were girls, btw), I can't tell you what that means to me.  It almost means as much as the student I failed who stopped by to visit.  I failed you, and you still want to drop by and chat?  That's awesome!

Dear School Year, I can't believe you start on Monday.  I need more time!  There was so much more I wanted to get done during the workdays, ack!  I'm dreading you (hey, summers are awesome...) and eagerly awaiting you at the same time.  Dear 2012-2013, bring it on!