So hey there.

[elderberrywine]

Today is the first day of school, and that's always been like New Year's Day for me. Because I always loved loved loved school. So this meant new binders, new pencil cases, new textbooks, new everything grand.

And even though I'm a teacher these days instead of a student, not a whole lot has changed.

So Happy New year, y'all!

Comments

[illuminating_dragon]

I remember when the textbooks were handed out and one hoped for a brand new copy instead of a ratty old one. You could see the new ones in the stack and calculated your chances as the teacher went up and down the rows. This was in elementary school though. High school was sheer misery.

[elderberrywine]

So actually these days every student MUST get a textbook for every class (Williams Rule). Thus we witness the schlepping of the books home every August and the reverse schlepping every May, whether or not their teachers actually use the text (me? no).

What, high school only had tatty books? Mine were fiiiiine, since a lot of them weren't actual textbooks. Senior English? Norton's Anthology of English Literature. PUUUURRSSSSSSSSS, strokes my Preciousssss.

[illuminating_dragon]

Heh. I meant that I hated high school. I have no memory of textbooks except for Norton which I still own.

[elderberrywine]

What, you don't have warm fuzzies about your math text? *stokes my beloved Analytical Geometry and Vector Analysis.

Seriously, that was neck and neck with Norton for me. But, math nerd, there ya go.

[illuminating_dragon]

I have warm fuzzies for Mr Sara who was a fine maths teacher. I was blessed with two fine maths teachers.

[elderberrywine]

Fine math teachers were thin on the ground for me. My high school freshman Algebra teacher. And this one guy at Harvey Mudd. Other than that, it was the love for the subject, really. Now ask me about my high school chemistry teacher. He was fiiiiiiione.

[illuminating_dragon]

I had a good chemistry teacher, too. Japanese. Mr Sara had been a policeman in New Delhi and he was tough. That's how I liked them. I was top of the class. *preens*

[elderberrywine]

Alright, so my chemistry teacher (in high school) was my secret crush. He was this young short guy, by the name of Max, and he was an ex-boxer with the crooked nose to prove it, and he was brilliant. The hottest teacher at PS High by far, IMHO.

I had 2 years of chem with him. Junior year, regular Chem. Senior year, Organic Chem/Analytic Chem. He took 8 of us on a field trip to Cal Tech (2nd year they were admitting girls - 2 of us were such). Van broke down on the way back and we had to hang out at the Redlands Bowl for several hours that night. We ate pizza galore, and it was one of the best nights ever. Almost went to Cal Tech just because of that. *dreamy sigh*

[illuminating_dragon]

Did you ever keep track of what happened to your teachers later in life?

[elderberrywine]

Nah, man, I moved out of town. They basically just died off, I assume. My sisters still live there and occasionally show me an obituary. You know them?

Sometimes.

[xylohypha]

I was just thinking about you yesterday! Hi!

I can smell the pencil shavings in my mind's nose as I type this. (People always talk about the mind's eye, but I find my mind's nose is pretty active.)

New notebooks, all filled with neatly lined paper--the edges of the pages still all even and crisp--just waiting to be filled with knowledge! Rulers! Compasses! Such riches. (I have a weakness for office supply stores which probably dates back to the excitement September always brought me.)

[elderberrywine]

And hi back atcha!

The sense of smell is the most evocative of all, so I totally understand.

Most of us teachers end up supplying our classrooms, to a great extent, on our own dime, but when I hit Office Depot with my mile-long shopping list, I can't even be mad.

[lenine]

The new school year has always been the new year for me, even though it's been a zillion years since I've been in school. Happy New Year!

[elderberrywine]

Everything is new, all things are possible.

So much more meaningful than some random date in the middle of winter. Right?