great message.

I hope you all had a great first day of school. Today was my first day, in my own classroom, with my name outside of the door and everything. It went freakishly well. I love working in a small school district. Not quite as many hood rats.

As a parent, you all want to set the right examples for your children. As a teacher, I want to set the right examples for my students, even at the 9th grade level. Even if the crazy has already set in. I want them to look at me, and see kindness and goodness. For this to work, I have to actually be kind and good. Another one of my work in progress things.

The Captain McFinn and Friends series of children's books may be too young for my students, but they are absolutely perfect for the elementary level. Each of the three books in this series has a lesson to be learned. How to be a buddy and not a bully. How to use your words and actions for a greater good. How to help the environment and each other. Themes that every child should have instilled in them. Creator Phyllis Cafaro's mission is to use these books to help children feel valued while also building their character. I think we can all agree that the youth of America needs all the help we can give them.