The Rollercoaster

1st Day of School. I had scribbled this and saved it as a draft. Finally posting it.
Oh, the stress. And oh, the glory. The first day of school was a mind-boggling swirl of new names and faces. The students piled in and out and I began to make some sense of the task ahead. The task? Well, it seems to become more complex as the hours fly past. Quite simply, the situation I'm in is unlike any other I've faced.

Forget that I'm fresh in a new country that I don't understand and I've no handle on the language. Just consider the kids. They are smart. Wicked smart. They've travelled the globe and they speak multiple languages. Everyone speaks at least two, and a couple speak five. Yes: five. They are savvy about politics and international affairs. They have strong opinions and are vocal about them. It's awesome. And I can't stop myself from marveling at their brilliance.

Of course I have been in a very different world. My prior students were oh-so-opposite. They were disadvantaged and struggled to perform at grade-level. They appeared to loathe the labor of school and, in some cases, refused to comply with standard school procedures. I found myself remediating and remediating--trying to find a place from which the instruction could launch. With grade niners I repeatedly explained noun, verb, and adjective.

And now? Now all is upside down...wonderfully so.