Ride the Train

In Boston, its' the T, but its still a train. I was in town for the National Principal's Conference sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and staying outside the city. Traffic is crazy, like in most cities and riding the T to and from the conference was the best choice. Enter FEAR, HESITATION and WORRY. Never before have I ridden a train solo without a helpful friend or family member that knows the "ropes." And to be honest, I've probably only ever ridden a train 5 times in my life.

After working myself up for multiple days, it was time to be a big boy, get dropped at the station and navigate the unknown, party of one. I followed my very specific instructions from my brother, a frequent T rider, often referring to the handwritten notes/directions I was given. I followed the crowd of people and managed to get onto the correct train with no hiccups. My next two days of travel on the T followed the same pattern, no issues. I quickly realized that something I had worried myself about and lost sleep over, wasn't that bad.

After I conquered the T ride into the city, one more thing was weighing on my mind. I was fortunate enough to be attending a National Conference with thousands of fellow administrators from around the country, but I was also scheduled to present a session on Day 2. Presenting at any conference or in front of any group of people can be nerve-racking, but this would be my first time presenting solo on a National platform. Much like the anticipation of the train ride, I worried, lost sleep, and worked myself up, all the way until it was "go" time. When my fellow administrators entered the room and I greeted them at the door with a hello and a smile, the worry began to melt away.

These two events that weighed heavily on my mind this week remind me of our upcoming new school year. As teachers, administrators and school staff members, we are often excited for the first day of school. It brings our school family together again, it is the start of new beginnings and most of the time, we are refreshed. But my mind goes immediately to our students. Do we really know how they feel before the first day of school? How many of them are anxious, scared, and having a hard time sleeping as the day gets closer?

The start of the school year rocks the world of every child. Gone are the less structured days of summer and a flexible sleeping schedule. Kids like routine and getting back into a routine is hard. It is especially hard if you have a new teacher, new kids in your class, new wing of the school, new bus route or driver and maybe even a new school. This question needs to be discussed: How do we help our students transition back to school and how do we help ease their fears while we transition? This is a loaded question and its not as easy as just Riding the Train, but in order for us to expect the best from our kids, we HAVE to set them up for success. This begins before the first day of school, and before our kids enter our buildings.