Whew! I survived...

Well day one back to school was a success. Ok success may be taking it a little too far, but it did go better than I expected. I was kind of nervous to go back actually. Since this is my first year of teaching, and my first year of "going back to school after break - as the teacher", I was worried. Was I suddenly going to hate my students? Were they going to overrun me and tackle me and take over the class? Or what if they decided they hated me? So many concerns. Well good news - I still love those rug rats like crazy and they didn't tackle me down. I don't think they hate me so I feel pretty good. 

The students were so tired today which worked to my benefit. They were pretty quiet and stayed on task. The transition back to a full day of learning went great and I was proud of them for working so hard their first day back. By the time the afternoon rolled around, they were a little more rambunctious which meant we had to have some fun. We were talking about their holiday break and before I knew it we were all laughing and couldn't stop. I don't even remember what was so funny, but it was nice to be back as a classroom family and 
enjoy each other's company. 

We are a little family in my classroom. It's one of the main things I have been completely adamant since day one. I told the kiddos that we were a school family and we were there to help each other out and support one another. As the year has continued on, our family has grown closer and our relationships strengthened. It sounds kind of silly, but I think it's made all the difference in the world - or at least my little classroom. I'll share more about how we've made that happen another day.

How do you develop a sense of community in your classroom? What works and doesn't work? I am always open to new ideas and would love if would share yours with me!

And prayers for day 2 are more than welcomed. :)