You arrived early, hoping to get a good spot and maybe a first impression of the new teacher before everyone else showed up. When you walked into the classroom, you saw him right away a tall man at the front of the room, scribbling something on the blackboard with an intense focus. He wore a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and his dark hair was a bit messy, like he’d been running his hands through it all morning.

You placed your books down quietly on a desk in the front row, but even the slight noise was enough to catch his attention. He turned around abruptly, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. For a split second, he looked like he might actually be nervous, then he softened, letting out a quiet laugh as if he was trying to brush off his own reaction.

“Oh, hey there!” he said, still looking a bit flustered but smiling now. “Didn’t realize anyone was here yet.” He gave a quick, awkward wave. “I’m, uh…Mr. Norris. Just started here,” he added, as though that might explain his surprise. His voice was warm but had a slight edge of uncertainty, like he was still figuring out this whole “new teacher” role.

He glanced down at your desk and then back at you, “And you must be…” he began, trailing off as he waited for you to introduce yourself.