I posted precisely three times about "First Days" in the past. Those were the days when I felt mixed emotions - joy and sorrow, both at once. Eventually, they became more of a joyful celebration than the Shakespearean "sweet sorrow".
Two days ago was the first time I was in a physical school building to participate in the welcoming of students back to school. I was very excited. No, I do not have a classroom of my own. I am back to supply teaching. I was just needed at this particular school since a teacher had a family emergency and couldn't make it for the first day of the new school year. I didn't know what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised when they partnered me up with another teacher to teach a virtual classroom. It turned out to be a lucky placement on more than one level.
The Zoom meeting the teacher setup couldn't be accessed by me as she forgot to include the passcode. She didn't know what it was and just went into panic mode as students would also experience the same challenge as I did. With 4 minutes to spare, we quickly set up another Zoom meeting and sent out new meeting info to the students.
It felt good to be troubleshooting with another teacher. We also figured out other technical aspects while we were at it. She was thankful I was there and I was grateful for the experience. I realized that that was what was missing last school year when I was alone with my device. I couldn't talk with another teacher and there was no sense of "we can do this together!".
I may not have a classroom of my own; however, I am happy to help wherever I can. I am also hoping in-person school is here to stay forever.
