posted 09-05-2002 05:21 AM            

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First Day
Krystie and Shawn Tigges

The young merle headed white collie gave a nervous little gulp as she walked down the, for the moment, empty hall of the private girls school of the area that she was teaching at. Teaching? That still was new to her, she felt like she should still be in school herself at age twenty.

But it was correct, she gave a little smile as her tail swayed against her skirt as she reached her room, all ready laid out and arranged. She had been in early, even before new-teacher orientation, asked the custodian nicely and then had spent the better part of a day gettings perfect, or at least perfect for her. She had her desk situated so it would be out of the way, but not so far from te children’s area that she would seem un-approachable, no, she had been in too many classes like that throughout her time as a student and refused to be one of those teachers. The ones that just stood lectured then gave assignments and sat back not to be bother. No, that definitely was not her. She smiled as she sat her books on her desk neatly and then turned toward the room. It wasn’t laid out in the normal ‘row’ fashion as most were, because it was a relatively small school, her largest class only numbered eighteen, she had decided to do something she had picked up on from her college professors, she had asked for only the amount of desk she would need for her largest class, plus or minus a couple in case a student was added here or there, and no more. She had then arranged them in a crescent formation, so she could very easily walk among her students, that, and she’d always be able to see their faces.

She sighed nervously, looking at the clock, ten more minutes before the first class of her teaching career, ten more minutes. She smiled walked to the teacher’s restroom that was close to her room and checked herself over, making sure she presented the picture she wanted, and she smiled at how her brand new husband, beeming with pride at his bride’s first day had sat on their bed and helped her choose the right outfit. She smiled, nodded, and walked back towards the classroom.

On the way she passed the custodian, a life-saver if thee ever was one, he was a man old enough to be her father, and did have that demeanor, apparently he even dressed up for as Santa Claus for the elementary school a few blocks away. He had been the one she had seen that very first day after her student teaching, when she had been hired on by the school to fill the slot of a advanced literature teacher. He had smiled at her, gently patted the nervous young collie on the back and let her into her classroom, peaking in every once and a while to make sure she was ok and offer encouragement.

“Ready Missy?” the bullmastiff asked with his warm smile, pushing his ball cap up to see her.

She smiled nervously. “Oh I hope so Karlton, and you have been so wonderful in helping me.”

He waved it off with a warm smile. “its my job Missy, though I do admit you are more enjoyable to work with than some teachers I have known the time I’ve been here.”

The young teacher nodded slowly, smiled and gave the custodian a peck on the cheek as thanks. “Thank you Karlton.”

He smiled and chuckled, giving her another pat on the back, enjoying help the young teacher. “Well, you had better go…”

She smiled and nodded, smoothing out her blouse and skirt, walking back into her classroom as she heard other teachers beginning to enter, and the first hint of students arriving. She took in a long breath blew it out, and said a silent prayer as she put her best, most radiant smile on her face as several girls past b her door, first in ones, then twos, and finallylarge knots, all laughing talking and trying to find their lockers. Then, the morning bell rang, singling that the students had ten minutes to get to class, and surprisingly, her first class of girls was their in moments, all fifteen, smiling and chattering away. Finally, the class bell rang, the girls quieted and looked up from the seats they had chosen to see their new teacher. All of them were sophmore/junior level and all were eager, or nervous, or a bit of both she could see in their eyes.

The teacher smiled, walked forward slowly calmly, or as calmly as she could muster, her bright smile warming to them, and then she introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Mrs. McLoude, I’ll be your teacher for this year in advanced literature, now, I want to get to know every one of you, so lets all introduce ourselves so I can…”

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(Krystie) Shawn, I think I am pregnant....