The first day of classes can be nerve-wracking. Standing in front of a group of young people for the first time is intimidating. Introductions have yet to be made, expectations have yet to be established, relationships have yet to be formed, and, we only have one chance to make a good first impression.

It can be helpful to embrace the first gathering intentionally, planning short activities to introduce students to the teacher and each other and setting parameters for the coming year. Structuring time into shorter increments and identifying what happens when is essential, to be certain you can accomplish all you have planned and to set a positive tone for the coming year as you start the process of becoming community.

And yet, even when the first day goes well, it can feel a little off. Inevitably you find yourself comparing this group with the last. This class is not as solid as the previous class, or as responsive, or as open and fun. But it is important to recognize the imbalance of comparing a classroom community that is just beginning, with the more mature community that had formed over the entire course of the prior year.

Classroom communities are built, intentionally and over a period of days and weeks. As we explore our Catholic faith, we grow individually and collectively. We learn to support each other and challenge each other. We even annoy and learn to like each other. And then, at the end of the year, our community disperses, never again to exist as that unique community.

As you approach the first day, perhaps nervous and intimidated, remind yourself that this group in front of you sits poised, ready to be a community of faith and love, of acceptance and growth. And at this time next year, THIS is the community you will miss. This is your new community, at the cusp of it’s beginning.