Entering Arlington ISD

Everybody wants a piece of ya when you're new to the district. Teachers new to the profession start a week early, while teachers new to the district start a couple of days before the rest of the faculty, apparently so we'll be even more tired than the veterans before the kids appear. The 10,000 names, numbers, and procedures thrown our way stop being absorbed by my brain after the morning Coke wears off and my J.Lo sized butt goes numb from sitting for three hours at a stretch in the auditorium seats designed for the elusive average-sized human.

On the other hand, the impressive thing about AISD is how "with it" they are. Everyone exudes pride in AISD and elation at your choice of employment in the district. It's uncanny. The competition for teachers in the metroplex has apparently caused them to go out of their way to make new teachers feel welcome, which, in all seriousness, is good for the ego. It's gonna be a good year.