Back to School Blues

"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet."
-Aristotle

School starts tomorrow. Another year begins. I don't know that I've told the blogworld, but this year I've been moved down to seventh grade math. While that means another year of brand-new lesson plans, my fingers are crossed that the curriculum is a bit easier and more fun than last year's.
I've spent the last week up at the school, fixing up my room. And, after I found strong enough tape (on Friday, no less!), my posters are finally hung up on the walls. After rearranging a couple of times, my desks are in order. I have bulletin boards ready to be filled with student work and 28 chairs waiting for students eager to learn.
I'm sure this year will have plenty of challenges: I have a good number of ELL students, I'm teaching two different preps, this grade has a bad reputation, etc. But my fingers are crossed super tight, hoping that I've learned from my mistakes and will be able to find a better balance between home and school this year. My sanity depends on it!