Tomorrow morning I will drive to Blair High School and meet nearly two hundred students that I will be required to work with over the next ten months. The sentiments and adrenaline that surge through me at this point in time resemble the emotions and energy that move through me before any adventurous trip I take, like my most recent journey to Africa, for example.
When I prepare to leave my home for an extended length of time, I strive to cover every detail of my absence. I organize bills, prepare all necessities for pets, clean my house completely, call loved ones and remind them of my love for them. I feel as if all "loose ends" need to be tied so that I leave sort of a legacy of peace.
I suppose my preparations for students cause a similar sensation. I strive to have an inviting classroom, designed comfortably and aesthetically so that students feel excited and welcomed as they walk through the door. I organize my grading system, my curriculum, my thoughts and emotions so that I can meet the needs of my students, academically and as a fellow human being.
Now, I prepare for bed after a long day, decorating, cleaning, photocopying, planning and preparing. As I see it, I am hours away from my next journey, a journey into the hearts and minds and lives of amazing young people who have dreams and hopes even though they may live in cultures and worlds that feel foreign to me. What an honor to go on this trip!
