Yesterday we cleaned out the garden to prepare the soil for fall crops (summer really is winding down…). I would not call myself a successful carrot farmer from the point of view of someone who likes to eat carrots…but, from someone who loves color and whimsy, these are winners! They look like they are ready to dance! I can only hope that tomorrow’s line of new second graders inspires such joy! Growing carrots and being a teacher on the night before school starts have a lot in common. Until these carrots were pulled up from underground, I had no idea what colors or shapes to expect–or even if there was anything there at all below those feathery green tops. Similarly, my new students have been off having their own summer adventures. I know some of them from seeing them in the hallways last year. But, until they are pulled into Room 11 for this new school year their particular shapes and colors remain a mystery. One which I will have the honor and responsibility to unravel over the next ten months.