Happy New Year!

by Joanne Esser September always feels to me as if it should be the time when we officially celebrate the New Year, rather than according to the calendar, in January.For people who work with children, for parents and certainly for the children themselves, the start of a new school year is a time of excitement and promise, a time for celebration. Seeing beloved teachers and favorite friends, returning to special spots in the woods, discovering new people and places and materials can be so much fun!But for many people, both adults and children, the start of a new school year can also trigger some fear or worry. Transitions – moving from the unstructured days of summer to the routine of preschool, from the familiarity of home to an unfamiliar classroom, from spending most of their time with family to being with strangers – can be both frightening and wonderfully stimulating at the same time. This is normal for all of us.Educators are keenly aware of this complicated dynamic. Big emotions of all kinds come up when school begins. That’s why we spend so much time preparing the classroom environments ahead of time to make them feel welcoming. It’s why we move slowly at first, helping children adjust at their own pace to the new experiences they are having. It’s why we focus on very basic things like learning each other’s names, touring the various parts of the building and discovering the outdoor spaces, exploring materials in the classroom one by one to figure out how they can be used. It’s why we develop predictable routines and agreements (rules) and repeatedly share songs that help everyone know what to expect. It’s why teachers pay such close attention to the messages that the children give us, both in words and nonverbally, about how they are feeling. We stay close by to support them as they work through their own versions of getting to know this new place.For me, as the new director of All Seasons Preschool, this is also a big transition point in my life. I am the “outsider,” coming to join a solid and connected community of educators. Though I have been a teacher and a school administrator for well over thirty years, this particular place and these specific people are new to me. I spent the past thirteen-plus years teaching Pre-K classes of four- and five-year-olds at Blake School in Hopkins; I know exactly how to do that job well. Now I am leaving my familiar role as a full-time classroom teacher and taking on a new teacher/leader position.Like the children entering their new preschool or classroom, I naturally wonder, “Will they like me?” “Will I fit in?” “Will I figure out what this place is all about without feeling too lost?” It takes courage for any of us to try something unfamiliar. It takes time to adjust.Transitions are not often adequately acknowledged in our fast-paced world at large, but they are significant moments in our lives. During the first weeks of school at All Seasons Preschool, our most important job is to help everyone develop a sense of belonging – for children, for families, for teachers and staff. When we feel we belong, our transitions happen more smoothly and we relax into the joy of being part of something really amazing. I am looking forward to that joy!