There’s something about September that feels like a deep breath.

Summer is winding down, the days are starting to feel a little different, and suddenly the rest of the year seems to be waiting for us.

I always notice this shift around this time of year. The slower pace of summer starts giving way to fuller calendars, cooler days, football season, holidays, school events, and all the things that make the final months of the year feel like they move twice as fast.

And honestly, I'm ready for it.

...

There is the checklist they give you when you become a teacher.

Then there is the checklist you create because you quickly realize there are approximately 47 things nobody thought to mention.

Simple checklists have saved my life.

Not because they make teaching simple. They don’t.

But because when everything feels like it needs your attention at the same time, having somewhere to start can feel like a small act of sanity.

When I wrote Class Is In Session: The Expectant Teacher Survival Handbook, I...

Chapter 1: First Day of School

There’s something unforgettable about the first day of school.

Not because everything goes according to plan, but because nothing ever really does.

Long before students fill the classroom, you've imagined this day more times than you can count. You picture yourself greeting each student with confidence. You rehearse introductions in your head. You straighten the books on your shelves one more time, erase a board that was already clean, and check your lesson plans...