It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...

It's that time of year again.

The pencils, sharp. The floors, newly waxed. The crayon boxes still contain all 24 colors. The posters on the walls are perfectly arranged. Neat, orderly, clean.

For about another day and a half.

My classroom theme is the same as it was last year:  superheroes. I've got some pretty awesome pictures of some pretty cool things which you will find below. I got to thinking about superheroes and teaching and such things recently {part of that is because I have been watching the Marvel movies that I somehow hadn't seen yet}, and it made me realize something.

I'm not the superhero in my classroom.

I'm Alfred, giving my students the space and tools to create what they need to create to make their little minds stronger.

I'm Pepper Potts, reeling back in these kiddos when things get out of hand.

I'm Aunt May or Martha Lane for some kids, the comforting shoulder and presence.

I'm SHIELD, keeping an eye on the big picture as they strive to complete each individual task.

I'm that guy from The Incredibles who looks like Richard Nixon, wiping the slates clean before each new day.

But sometimes...

I'm the Riddler, throwing challenges their way.

I'm Lex Luthor, holding the kryptonite that stops the undesirable behaviors in their tracks.

I'm Doc Ock, coming at them with multiple things at once.

I'm every supervillain all at once, doing everything I can to make their way difficult...and thereby bringing out their best. 

And sometimes I feel the burden a superhero must feel...that crippling knowledge that I can't save everyone. I can't make every child fall completely head-over-heels with reading, so much so that they never pick up an Xbox controller over a book again. I can't protect them when they leave Gotham, when they are out of the circle of my influence. I can't stop every single other supervillain out there from getting their claws into my little superheroes:  alcohol, drugs, depression. They may only be 10, but some of them are far too worldly. Some of them don't want my help. Some of them resent me for trying.  But Superman always puts back on the cape. Iron Man always gets back into the suit. 

So maybe I am a superhero...if only in the sense that someone has to protect the citizens of Metropolis, and so it might as well be me. 


But I do have the shoes for it.


Have a great school year! And get ready for another great year of blogging!

~Stay Gold!

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