This fall, I will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first time I stepped foot into my own classroom. I have been feeling a little sentimental about it lately. Here is a list I jotted while I was waiting in a car rider line the other day:

When I first started teaching...


I had big hair and bangs. (Remember the spiral perms?)
I wore "teacher dresses".
I cried each morning it rained because that meant we would be having "inside recess".
I adopted a whale each year. (Who knows if it was a part of the curriculum!)
I arrived at work and left work each day with the custodians.
I drove a blue Geo metro.
I got so many tickets on the commute home that I had to be put on special insurance.
Bruce (now my husband) knew the names of every single one of my students.
I changed behavior modification plans daily, it seemed.
I spent hours in the media center, searching for the right books.
I got my lesson ideas from books, magazines, and colleagues. (no internet back then!)
I couldn't believe I got paid for doing something I loved so much!

My hairstyle, clothes, and vehicle have changed since then. I have a better handle on discipline as well as curriculum. I haven't had a ticket in several years, and I have an unlimited amount of inspiration at my fingertips through the worldwideweb. Lots has changed since then, but I still can't believe how blessed I am to be an educator. Life is good and it just keeps getting better!