Ahh... back-to-school. A bittersweet time for parents, teachers, and kids filled with excitement, nerves, and everything-in-between. I asked OOM contributors to share some of their standout back-to-school memories, here's what they shared:
"I think about picking out the best BTS outfit. I used to think about it for hours the night before and try on every option. I wanted it to be cute and trendy yet something unique. My worst fear was wearing the same outfit as another person. I also think about planning my day very carefully. I would tell myself the exact minute I had to leave the house to make the bus, memorize my class schedule so I didn’t have to reference it in the halls, and remind myself when I had lunch so I knew when to snack!" - Kayla
"The one thing I was always excited about when returning to school was having my dad wrap my textbooks in brown paper bags. From a functional standpoint, I realized that was to protect the books (and required by my teachers), but to me they became little portable canvases I carried around all day to show off my personality and drawing skills. When most kids bought fabric material covers, I stayed true to paper covers." - Gina
"My elementary school used to give out a list of classroom supplies and textbooks we would need for the school year, and my favorite part was getting a chance to visit the bookstore! While my parents were busy checking off the list at the bookstore, I would roam the shelves and try to sneak more “fun” books into the back-to-school pile." - Raisa
"In third grade, I switched elementary schools, and I was SO nervous about the first day of school. I was leaving all my friends behind and was really anxious about learning to navigate the big, new building on my own. My mom and I were able to take a tour of the building a few days before school started so I could meet my new teacher and start to learn my way around. My teacher, Mrs. Zyglocke, was so incredibly warm and welcoming and ended up becoming my favorite teacher to this day, but the part of the school tour that really made me feel at home that day? The library. I was a painfully shy kid, but I LOVED to read, and it made all the difference in the world to me when the librarian, Mrs. Smith, got down on her knees with me and asked me to tell her about my favorite books. I might have been shy about talking to grownups, but I could talk about books forever! Even though school hadn’t started yet, she walked me through the shelves and helped me find a whole pile of new books that she thought I would like, and sent them home with me. I felt so special! We became fast friends, and I spent as much time as I could throughout the next three years in the library, browsing the shelves. Knowing I could go to the library and talk with her made my back-to-school transition to my new school so much easier and more exciting. I owe the discovery of so many of my favorite books to that library and Mrs. Smith!" - Emily
"The summer between second and third, I fractured my elbow so badly that it required two casts and a surgery to fix. Aside from being a complete bummer during the best time of the year (no swimming or bike riding all summer), it also meant that I was starting the school year off with a brace to correct the nerve damage I suffered. While I probably should have been more concerned about the fact that I had to re-learn how to use every muscle in my hand, I was way more concerned with the fact that I looked like Wolverine with my hand contraption. I was super self-conscious about my claw as I called it, but thankfully I had the best teacher who made me feel a lot better about it all. She made sure I felt comfortable and confident to be in class and start the year off right. She made sure that I didn’t feel left out of recess or gym class by finding ways to include me while I was sidelined. I definitely wouldn’t have made it through third grade without her extra care." - Mackenzie
Teachers & parents, thank you all. Good luck with back-to school!
