So it’s on once again come tomorrow.

I’ll be there. So will they. And I want you to know that all the motivational speeches I’ve gotten this past week didn’t make a difference. I was already ready already. This is what I do.

I’ll be there with my game face on, just about everyday. When my stomach is killing me (which was often last year) or my disposition isn’t sunny, I’ll still show up. When everything’s going wrong, I’ll be there faking the funk from 7:30 – 2:45. It’s not their problem that I’m having a problem. Sometimes I can’t be there, but when I’m not, I worry about them. I wish I didn’t, but usually I do. They’re my kids, you know.

I’ll be there listening to their stories, helping them make sense of the world the best I can, teaching them the things the state says they should know and a few other things I know they should know. That’s the best I can do and sometimes that doesn’t seem like enough, but it’s what I’m tasked with.

I’ll be there tapping my yardstick on the ground like a caricature of a teacher. My glasses will be at the tip of my nose. I’ll be scowling until Thanksgiving. They’ll love to hate me until I trip over something and bust my behind on the ground. They’ll look around nervously until I start to laugh. Then they’ll laugh. Now we’re friends. Well, not really. Kinda. They don’t need another friend. They need a teacher. That’s me.

I’ll be calling parents eventually, trying to explain to them what’s going on. Listening to the stories. Heartbreaking stories. Ridiculous stories. Stories that may never have a happy ending. Stories of people just trying to do the best they can by their children. I know that’s the case, most of the time. And usually I get all the support I need. But sometimes I don’t. And we soldier on anyway.

I’ll be ready to start this whole thing over again tomorrow. Each year I say I’m going to get a job fixing computers or being an adminstrative assistant. Last year I said I was going to work at Old Navy. Not part time. Full time. Idle threats. Duking it out with teenagers is what I love. For now.

I’ll be on the corner of the girls restroom and Room 120 tomorrow waiting for the future to come get what I’ve got to share. Holla at me. 7:30 AM. Don’t be tardy.