Fresh Start

As we start this year (and many of you already have), I just want to give you a word of encouragement. This year is a fresh start. Maybe you had a rough year last year, for many different reasons. Maybe you had a death in the family. Maybe you had a sick child or were sick yourself. Maybe you had 5 preps and were drowning in planning and grading. Whatever your situation, I just want to encourage you that this year is a fresh start. Whether it is year 2, 5, 8, or 36, it is a fresh start. That is the beauty of our profession; we can start new every year.

Like many of you, I had a rough year last year. I took a break from blogging because I was not teaching with CI and I felt I had nothing to contribute. This year, however, is a fresh start. I am able to use to the method that I love and I know is best for my students. I am so excited to see where my students can go this year. I am excited to share my students’ accomplishments and to hear from many of you on your student successes.

This year, you may have a new group of kids or many of the same ones. Either way, it is a fresh start. As we start the year with fresh chalk and Expo markers, freshly waxed floors and truly clean bathrooms, let’s remember why we got into this profession in the first place. This year, at the beginning of the year, let’s tap into our love for the language, our love for the kids, and our deep desire to make a difference. It is this desire that will keep up going when we are sick, tired and burnt out. Let’s choose to make a difference this year. Let’s do what we know is best practices and best for our students. Let’s share what we love about our language with our students and hope to inspire fellow language lovers to emerge. Let’s do what we do best: TEACH!