The Meeting

Originally posted June 18, 2013

All the philosophizing, all the questioning, all the planning, all the wondering, all the anticipating paused for a moment as I got to meet next year's students for the first time today. It was a bit different than what I had planned: a 2-3 hour get-together consisting of team building activities, food, questions to and from the students, and generally a "get to know ya" time. Because of crazy schedules that span three grade levels, I met with the upcoming 8th graders and upcoming 7th graders separately during the lunch periods instead.

What the meeting lacked in quantity of time it certainly made up for in quality. The incredibly generous food service providers cooked up eight pizzas especially for us from kits that were left over from an 8th grade fundraiser earlier in the year. I printed up business card-sized notes that had the students' name on it and just "6.18.13  11:55  Conference Room" underneath. All black with white print. We handed those out to students this morning and tried to create a sense of both mystery and excitement. I believe it worked.

To see the students sitting around the conference room table, eating pizza and smiling while talking about school felt like it was a major accomplishment in and of itself. I shared a brief version of what next year's program will look like, answered questions, cracked some jokes, asked them what they wanted or needed out of the program, and bonded with students who have been, shall we say "disenfranchised" with, and or by, school.

While I have held the belief that this new program and approach to learning is what is best for "students," it was an amazing situation to have the abstract "student" replaced with my students. With unique names. With unique laughs. With unique personalities. With unique backgrounds, learning styles, quirks, talents. With unique fears. With unique hopes.

I end the day today reflecting on those faces and voices I saw and heard today. While I do not yet know their whole stories or the point at which school became a burden, I know that something must change for them. Whether it was real or simply imagined I cannot truly say, but while we were talking about what school would be for them next year I swear that I saw hope in their eyes. I hope that I do not let them down. I hope that they can truly say that next year is the best year that they have ever had in school. I hope that we can rekindle that fire for learning that was once an inferno in their childhood minds. I hope to teach them to embrace awe, wonder, and amazement of the world around us. I hope that I can be what they need me to be.

I hope...