It’s back-to-school week for teachers. We’re moving across the street to a new location for one year while our school building will undergo a long overdue renovation. Moving is hard. Starting a new school year is hard. We’re in our same neighborhood, and we needed Mister Rogers. Really. His words were empowering and comforting.
In the words of Mister Rogers…
“Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me.”
“In every neighborhood, all across the country, there are good people insisting on a good start for the young, and doing something about it.”
“Imagining something may be the first step in making it happen, but it takes the real time and real efforts of real people to learn things, make things, turn thoughts into deeds or visions into inventions.”
Thank you, Mister Rogers. Your words of wisdom are just what teachers need.
Jennie
A Teacher's Reflections 
Have a great first week back 🥰
Thanks, Ritu! You know what it’s like right now. The added stress of a complete school move is a bit overwhelming. Yet, it all comes together and will be fine. 🙂
It’s huge… Mine is only a classroom move and I’m feeling the stress!!!
I go back tomorrow too but our kids start the following Monday 🥰
Hope your new, temporary home is just as inspiring as your original 😁
Our temporary home is a former school, and it is looking wonderful. Children have orientation on Thursday, so today is the last day to get ready. 😳 Then school begins next week. It will be fine, especially when the children arrive. I will be thinking of you tomorrow and next week!!! Our daughter and her children have been visiting from the west coast, so that’s been super busy, too. I have lots of blog reading to do to catch up. 🙂
Good luck Jennie! We can do this!!!!
Yes, we can!!!
What a great movie about a great person. “You don’t need to do something spectacular in order to be loved.”
Yes! He really said what mattered most.
Amen and Amen!
😀
Mr Rogers knew what was up. A true American hero.
Have a great first week back!
He was one of the great ones. Thank you, Robyn.
Yes ma’am! ❤
Gosh, that does sound hard! But I know you will make it seem like an adventure!
Thanks, Luanne. 🙂
You are a wonderful example of his courage and insight, Jennie. I wish you all the best in this new year.
Thank you, Dan. Much appreciated. 🙂
Thank you, Jennie! I needed to hear those word from my hero and once again you are a conduit of positive thoughts. So grateful for your friendship and wonderful blog. Owe you an email from earlier posts – our conference was end of July and school opened I early August- quite a blur!
On Tue, Aug 27, 2019 at 6:26 PM A Teacher’s Reflections wrote:
> Jennie posted: “It’s back-to-school week for teachers. We’re moving > across the street to a new location for one year while our school building > will undergo a long overdue renovation. Moving is hard. Starting a new > school year is hard. We’re in our same neighborhood, ” >
Good to hear from you, Mary Kay! Mister Rogers always had the words people needed to hear, whether they were children or adults. I dearly love what he has to say. I’m glad you needed to hear them, too. And, your friendship is near and dear to me. Looking forward to hearing from you and all your news. School in early August is way too soon. Best to you!
Best wishes for the new school year, Jennie. Looking forward to hearing all about it.
Thank you, John. Please give my best to Lucy and Twiggy. Tell them I will catch up on their stories soon. Our wonderful long visit with our daughter and grandchildren ends tomorrow.
They told me to tell you not to worry. There will always be more stories.
Tell them I said thank you, but I won’t skip one of their stories. Better late than never. 🙂
😁
I needed this right now and Mr. Rogers how I wish you were my neighbor. I’d come over right now. Thanks for posting this.
I wish you a great year, Jennie. Have fun and may you quickly get through the pain of aching legs in the first week back.
Thanks so much, Anneli! I’ll catch up with your posts soon. 🙂
I’m sure you’ll be very busy for a while.
Hopefully the weekend will be the start of back to normal. Thank you, Anneli.
What inspiring words. You are a hero to so many children and I hope you have a great school year.
Thank you, Maggie.🙂
There is a part of me that misses the start of a new school year, Jennie. I used to get so excited that I didn’t sleep well the night before. Now I just go in when someone at my old school needs help for a special project. Have a great year! Fred Rogers knew what he was talking about.
I’m the same way, Pete. The feeling is almost electric, with a little fear sprinkled in. 🙂 And, I know I will miss that feeling when I retire. This year is doubly hard with moving into a new location for a year. But…once the children arrive, it’s just wonderful. Of course you already know that. Mister Rogers truly understood children. He is a hero. I hope you saw his documentary. If not, it is a must watch, and you can get it on Netflix. Best to you, Pete.
New school years always start out with such promise–and I’ve seen from following your blog that your classes actually deliver on the promise, day in, day out, until school lets out for the summer. Here’s to another great year of chapter books and picture books and music and art!!
Thank you, Liz. I am ready to start reading Charlotte’s Web next week, painting to classical music, walking in the woods, and singing with the autoharp. 😀
I look forward to the vicarious enjoyment to come through your blog posts!
Thank you, Liz. Oh, those moments with children are the best.
🙂
Your school year is starting later than most. Much later than #1 Grandson’s who started school on August 16th! How I miss school starting after Labor Day!
Your ability to make it work will show and teach the children how to adapt to change which is a great thing! Lord knows most of us do detest change.
School up here starts the end of August or early September, but we don’t get out till later in June. How is grandson doing in school this year? We will definitely make the change work. You know how exhausting and overwhelming it is to move. I think teachers are all feeling a bit like deer in headlights, but that will all change when children arrive. Best to you, Deborah. 🙂
You too, Jennie! 😀
Amen to Mr Rogers! Your lucky kids will be looking forward to seeing you again Jennie!
He was one of the greats. Thank you, Opher. I will be catching up on my blog reading as soon as the dust settles. 🙂
Good quote, Jennie. I hope things go well in your new building.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thank you, Pete. Today is the last day to get ready, and family fly back to the west coast. Tomorrow is orientation, and school starts next week. Whew! 🙂
Great quote! All the best ‘back to school’. As for the move(s), break everything you need to do into bite-sized chunks and it won’t be as bad.
Your advice is excellent. One bite at a time and it will get done. Thank you!
My daughters still love Mr. Rogers and they are both college graduates and one of them teaches children with speak problems and language disabilities, she is a Speech Language Pathologist. When my daughters were much younger I took them to see Mr. Rogers and met him myself too. He was wonderful to all the children there and to the adults too. He was one of a kind.
You took your children to meet Mister Rogers?? That is just wonderful! Was it in the Pittsburgh area? He was the keynote speaker at a national teacher conference in Washington many years ago, and I heard him speak. Yes, he was one of a kind. Have your daughters seen the documentary on him? Have you? I truly hope so. It was exceptional. It still sticks with me, and I’m ready to watch it for a third time (Netflix has it). You must be very proud of your daughters. Somehow I think all those Mister Rogers years helped them grow to be the strong women they are today. Thank you, Karen. 🙂
Now your crossing guard will have to retrain drivers who have forgotten to look out for kids. We all have to remember about the school bus laws. We must work together to protect those little kids.
Absolutely!
Mr. Rogers was one of a kind, just as you are. We could sure use another one similar to him though. Moving anywhere is hard. But the kids will be happy wherever you are. Have a great year, Jennie.
Thank you, Marlene. It’s hard to explain to parents and adults about those moments with children, and how the littlest of things are really big and important. Mister Rogers did that so well. For me, it’s easy and natural to do with children, yet I desperately want parents and adults to see and understand their children the way I do, and the way Mister Rogers does. That’s why I started to write, first newsletters to parents, and then my blog. So, I keep teaching and writing. Yes, we need more Mister Rogers. Today was awful and overwhelming getting the new school and classrooms ready for children tomorrow. Yet, when the children come, it will be wonderful.
hope your first week goes smoothly Mr Rogers was the kindest man and there is a need for more people like him in the public eye!
He was one of the best! We definitely need more Mister Rogers. Many thanks!
A beautiful tribute. Best wishes to you Jennie for this school year!💪
Thank you!
Welcome back to class, and thank you for another excellent post!
You are welcome, Charles!
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Here is a wonderful post on teaching from that excellent teacher, Jennie!
Thank you, Charles!
Best of luck with your move and new school year, Jennie.
Thank you, Robbie.
Wishing you a wonderful new year, Jennie. I know Mr. Rogers would be proud of your neighborhood of teachers and students. ❤
Thank you, Diana. 😍
AMEN! AMEN, to that!!!!
Enjoy the “moving” adventure.
Thank you, Doris. It has been an adventure, from overwhelming to joy. I think Mister Rogers would understand. 🙂
Hope you had a nice first week, and a perfect stay in the new building. Best wishes, Michael
Thank you, Michael. We’re all still like deer in headlights, but things will smooth out quickly. Children start on Tuesday. I’m excited! 🙂
Best wishes, but i dont worry about. With you it only could be a wonderful start for them.
Thank you, Michael! 🙂
So Wonderfully true! When asked who had he most dramatic impact on your life, most people name a teacher!! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!!
I believe that’s true. Teachers are gifted with children, and I find that to be a huge responsibility combined with joy beyond measure. Santa Claus would totally understand.
Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
Thank you so much!
Have a great year! Out here in AZ we went back August 1st!!
Oh, no!! Thanks, Cindy.
Beautiful homage to a great man Jennie. Good luck with the new move and school year. And those students who get you for their teacher are already lucky. 🙂
Thank you, Debby. Deer in headlights tomorrow morning in the new building where nobody knows where anything is, and all new students and parents will be feeling the same way. Whee! In all seriousness, it will be wonderful. ❤️
It will be wonderful Jennie. You will all learn together, and within days, it will feel like your 2nd home again ❤
I know… it will… thanks so much, Debby. ❤️
❤
I love Mister Roberts, especially his quote about looking for the helpers!
I love that quote, too! He was wonderful. Thank goodness many of us were gifted with his love and wisdom.