The first day of the school year isn’t like the starting shot at a marathon.
It’s more like the shot at the start of an around-the-world race.
A marathon is a planned route. The weather will be basically the same at the end of the race as the start, and if you’ve done the right training, you know what to expect. You’ll be tired, but you can plan for that.
A school year, like an around-the-world race, has all sorts of unexpected challenges. You’ll have couples form and break up and then be unable to be seated next to each other. You’ll have mental crises for which you’re the front line of defense, snow on concert days, and a section that simply cannot comprehend the material in the time allotted. You’ll have unplanned successes and failures you thought you prepared against.
Mental fortitude is what gets you through a journey like this. No amount of planning could totally prepare Phileas Fogg for his 80 day journey, and it’s just that way for teaching, too. You can plan, you can prepare, and the rest comes down to hope.