I was fresh out of college and had just married my husband and relocated to south Florida. There were 24 students in my second grade class. I was excited and terrified all at the same time.
My students and their parents all had their noses pressed up to our classroom windows five minutes before our arrival procedures began. They were trying to get a peek at the new teacher.
I felt like I was in a fishbowl, so I went inside our classroom bathroom and hid until it was time to unlock our door!
When I think back to that first day of me hiding in the classroom bathroom, I think about how veteran me could have helped calm those nerves.