Back to School: The Zen Way

For me, each year comes with a lot of wonder, stress, joy and worry. Like a wind vane, my state of mind changes. From the joy of beginning this fresh new year, to the anxiety of the first days, it's like a whirlpool of mixed feelings. At this very moment, I can tell you that very few teachers drop out this weekend before students arrive. The classes are tidy, well decorated, the photocopies are ready, the material too. But, the feeling of not being up to it, of not having prepared enough activities, to have forgotten certain things, it remains and it sucks! Going back to school is such a big deal for a teacher! I often compare this to an opening night for an artist, except that we will have the same audience in the room day after day for a whole year. What a stress!

Like every year, I look at my planning of the week. The one that I've prepared wisely last May and June. And I tell myself that I have forgotten, again! How many goals have I targeted for these first two weeks? The answer is... way too much! I'm teaching at different levels this year (grade 1 and grade 2), but where did I get my head when I prepared this mad plan! It's not because my future students will be older than usual that I have to change my modus operandi. And what's this "modus operandi" might you ask? Well, let me explain…

Early in my relatively short career as an ESL teacher, I have been fortunate enough to meet people who have transmitted to me essential values, those that are centered on our needs as humans. Here you are. We are far from explicit teaching, far from the latest conclusive research and pedagogy, are we? But to this day, I consider these values ​​and beliefs to be my greatest assets as a teacher. So, what I try to do every year in September is to create links with my students. In my opinion, this is the only way to make sure that the coming year will be pleasant and successful. And I remember four years ago when I started teaching, when I was too rigid and I didn't take the time to talk and play with my students. When I had my head in the objectives rather than in the heart.

When it's time for me to start a new school year, the word that comes to mind is sweetness. Sweetness in my way of being, speaking, but also in the requirements that I will have towards my students. This implies that I will not be able to follow and go through my ideal planning. Especially since my head is always in the clouds, and that I will have to change some things. On the first day, I'll ask them to put everything in their bin and come up to me to talk. We will take the time to get to know each other, to laugh, to discover where they will spend more than 35 hours a week. We will spend time around the school, playing, taking selfies with friends, remembering our good holiday moments. The next day? We will start again, then we will take out the tablets and the notebooks to work a little. And little by little, we will say goodbye to the summer and we will settle in the routine (arrrggh that I hate this word!).

Here is my ideal way of coming back from the summer break. I don't want to "break" them with my stern looks and plan everything to the minute. I refuse this philosophy of a strict teacher, according to which the first days must be adjusted quarter-turn, as if the children were entering the army! Let's see! The class rules, we will build them together. The damn routine, we'll learn it soon enough. And as for the rest, I rely on my professional instinct to tell me when the right time will come.

I wish a nice and sweet return to all colleagues that I meet daily. Know that thanks to you, I become a better educator and above all, a better human being.

-Mark

* To continue the reflection, here is an excellent article about the first day of school in Finland, which inspired me to write this post.