Back to School with JBS

Back to school: these three words may bring to mind freshly sharpened pencils, reams of folder paper, ringing bells, and a smiling teacher waiting at the classroom door.  

About that teacher. 

By the end of the day, she is exhausted.  Her peppy morning skip up the school steps gives way to a zombielike shuffle down those steps as she leaves campus.   Her neatly coiffed hair is now limp and in need of a good brushing and detangling.  Her lovely coordinated outfit is now wrinkled and some serious sweat circles have been added to the look.  Her whole body wants to fall into bed, but she should make time to eat at least once today...and there is also tomorrow to plan for.  There is also a miracle yet to come -- by the next morning,  she'll be skipping up the steps again, ready to teach.  

So what brings us teachers back to school, day after day?  This layout attempts to answer that question. 

There is something to be said about creating a page in the moment, as I did here. After a long day at school, I returned home and, while I was still in my "oh, man, what a day" mindset, I put together this layout. First, I reviewed the detail photos that I had taken to document a day in the life of a teacher. I compiled them in a grid and printed them in a large block, around which I built the rest of the layout. 

The foundation of the layout includes several sheets of vintage papers from the JBS Mercantile September Antiquarian Kit.  They are right at home on a page about an English teacher! 

I layered the papers over each other, pairing two large lined sheets behind the photo block. I added my journaling on the lines, reflecting on how each day of teaching and learning really is a gift, and what thrills and delights us as we learn (and teach) will keep us learning (and teaching). 

The title letters and accents are from the JBS Mercantile September Papercrafting Kit. 

For me, heading back to school does not just involve a process, but a mindset. I try my best to take that "back to school" excitement and keep heading "back to school" all year long with all of the enthusiasm that I can muster. It's exhausting, yes, but it makes a difference.  Experiencing that "frisson" makes it all worth it.