The Calm Before the Storm

There's a moment in an elementary school classroom. It may last 30 minutes, you may only get 10 minutes. But there's a moment. It's a moment in which all of the kids have come in. They've found their desks. They're doing the "Welcome Back!" busywork you've laid on their desk. And it's quiet.

They're all working. They're unsure what to expect from their new teacher. They're unsure what to expect from one another. And they glance around. And it's calm. And so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It's almost enough to lull you into a false sense of security. As a first year teacher you assume, "Man, did I get lucky! I've got the BEST class." Oh, just wait my friend. It's coming.

And it always does. You get them talking, moving, interacting. And it's great to watch them learn, to watch them grow. But somedays it's great just to think back to that moment that happens at the beginning. That 20 minutes of calm, quiet bliss. The calm before the storm of a new school year.