Next month marks 20 years since I started my first year of teaching.  I’d been in many classrooms, observing for college classes and substituting, but nothing really prepares you for the first day of your first year.  No matter how organized you are, things may not go exactly the way you planned.  Do you remember the first day of your first year?  I do.  Actually, there’s just one thing I remember about that first day.  I was in my classroom, making sure everything was set.  I was nervous.  After all, I was teaching 6th grade!  I loved 6th grade, though, and had completed several months in a 6th grade classroom as a long term substitute the year before.  But this was different.  This was the first day of school, for me and them.  I no longer could rely on whatever the teacher had put in place before I’d gotten there.  Although nervous, I was pretty confident I knew what I was doing, and we’d all have a good day.  I looked at the clock.  I only had about five minutes.  Then…..there was a knock on my door.  I was new to the school and didn’t know any of the families. …