Each summer, as the calendar quickly slipped its way toward the second half of August, time neared to gather my personal effects and bring them back to school. I had a small box with the personal items I liked to have on my desk. Foremost among these items, besides a few photos of family, was my stainless steel commuter mug, which had been a gift from a student early in my rookie year. That mug held just the right amount of coffee and kept it warm all morning, even on the coldest days. Years later, I still use it. (Thanks, Ryan!)
That coffee mug was a symbol of Mr. S. If my students saw that on my desk, but no other sign of my presence, they knew I was there that day. Eventually, it was that mug and the pen over my ear that became my trademarks. On the toughest of days, I could count on that coffee mug to anchor me to an inner calm, and its physical durability reminded me to be the same way.
Is there an object—mug, ruler, miscellaneous tchotchke—that you must have with you when you start a new school year? Everyone has rituals or superstitions, so perhaps there is something that needs to be just right for you to know it will be a good school year. Share with us!
I have a very small collection of stuffed mostly “teacher” teddy bears that I display every year. One of them is a Miami Dolphins bear to show my students I am a fan of the team. On the same shelf Ii have a couple mugs that students have given me over the years. Everything else in the room is academic, but I show that small part of my personality. It makes me feel at home to have that little shelf of goodies there.