No, I Haven't Lost My Mind

After being gone an entire summer, there is a distinct smell evident to all teachers as they enter the doors of a school.  It's the smell of school.  Waxed floors, shining desks, windows sparkling..... there's a hush as you make your way down the hall to your classroom.

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My first day back always started a few weeks before the actual start of school.  I loved walking into a school when the morning sun was rising over the cornfields of Milford Elementary.  I can see the dust mites dancing in the sunshine as I climbed the two flights of stairs to my room.

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Plans were made...changed....made again.  Plans?  Plans.

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So, I thought I had retired.  I hadn't.  I preached to my Central kids to "do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason" almost every time I made morning and afternoon announcements.   Dr. Steve Smith asked me to serve my community and become a Deputy Superintendent.  What other answer was there than yes?

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The first four days are behind me and the year stretches in front of me.  The boys, girls, and I started on the same day.  Monday was just as exciting as the first day I walked into the State Center, Iowa Elementary School at age 5 in 1956.  Many years later, I know I made the right decision....I love being an educator.  

Erin Therese Malloy, Age 5, Brown and Pink Dress, Kindergarten

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I've visited nine schools this week.  Shhhhhhh, it's what I love the best!  Watching a great teacher teach is like watching a ballet...a good teacher makes you want to stand up a little straighter, be a little braver, and conduct yourself in a manner to make all of your former teachers proud of who you have become.

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I've delved into the number of students in the classrooms.  I've talked to teachers, principals, and parents.  I've listened to vendors, been put on committees, been invited to meetings, conversed with those passionate about education, and I have enjoyed a cup of coffee or two thinking about the concept of school.  These four days have flown.

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Welcome Home, Erin