One of Those Moments

This hasn't been an easy year--teacher-wise--in my world. And the weather here in Minnesota seems determined to make any possible pain last as long as possible. This past Friday, despite a (depressingly) late-spring snowstorm that closed schools across the state, the Minnesota High School League State Speech Tournament went ahead, sketchy roads and all. I left my house at 5:45am in order to ensure my state participants were at the tournament site in time for rounds, which started at 10:15. As I drove slowly down a back county road with no discernible road markings--they had been completely covered by the fierce blowing snow--I prepared myself for what I knew was going to be a long day.

Thirteen hours later, I sat in a high school auditorium surrounded by 15 amazing team members who had braved the weather and forfeited their snow day to cheer our two state participants on as the MSHSL handed out the last of the day's awards. And standing on the stage, for the first time in school history, was a proud member from my team. Our school, who only five years ago wielded a less-than-mighty team of 10, had now grown to over 40 and produced a state finalist. A girl I had worked with closely for four years--her entire high school career--had her moment in the spotlight, celebrating her 8th place finish. My heart was full to bursting.

No, it hasn't been an easy year. But Friday, as I watched her accept her medal, I was reminded that even in the darkest of times there is light. And I was reminded of the power of being a teacher. I was reminded that as a teacher, even when we know we perhaps haven't done our absolute best, we always have the power for moments such as these.

A girl. A stage. A medal.

We have the opportunity, even in casual circumstances, to change lives. My student will never forget that feeling of standing on stage, forever identified as one of the best speakers in the state. And how lucky I am to have gotten to be a part of it.

And so, good or bad, there is always an opportunity to change the world.

It was a lesson worth remembering. It was a lesson I needed to be taught this year. And I am so thankful to have learned it in that particular moment with that particular student.

A girl. A stage. A medal.

A reminder.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Giving Up Gatsby

Image
For the past ten years, my sophomore English class has studied The Great Gatsby every fall. It's one of my favorite books and it typically--and quickly--became a favorite of about half my class, at least. I loved teaching it, but there was a doubt that niggled at the back of my mind: for a lot of my students, the book was just too hard. They could understand the story and produce incredible insights about human behavior and the American Dream, but they couldn't read the novel themselves. We would have to read large portions of the text out loud in class, and they'd need a healthy dose of guidance. And to be honest, that guidance often meant I was doing more mental work than they were. I love the book, but the truth was, I didn't love teaching it because deep down I knew that it wasn't good teaching.

So this year, to the shock of everyone in my department, I suggested giving up Gatsby.

I don't really let go of things easily. I keep the brochures from tourist sit…
Read more

The Stigma of Messiness or Yes I Do Have Anxiety Flashcards

Image
I have never been under any illusions of being a "laid back" kind of gal. I admit that, at the best of times, the term "high strung" can accurately be applied to me. I like things done a certain way, at a certain time. This accounts for my neat-freak habits, my road rage, and my inarticulate rampages in crowds. But these have always been manageable. I get butterflies before my team competes at Sections, I can't sleep the night before we leave for a big vacation, and I recheck my alarm every night at least three to four times (let me tell you, I slept through it once and woke up 32 minutes before I was supposed to be teaching in my first hour an hour away--never again).

But six months or so ago, this transformed into something completely foreign to me: real, honest to goodness anxiety. I don't mean the anxiety you feel before starting a new job, moving, or even the first day of school. I mean the kind where my mind doesn't feel like my own anymore. Where…
Read more

Moving Mountains and Burning Bridges: The Power of Words

Image
Words can move mountains. That's what I tell my speech students--their words can change the world. They can hurt or heal, break or bond. They have power. I'm acutely aware of the fact that what we say to others lingers far after the words are said; words have a way of worming themselves into the very fabric of our being and becoming a part of us. When those words wound, we carry that pain far longer than even we suspect. Words are particularly insidious weapons because too often, we fail to recognize the myriad of ways they'll follow us. I try to be mindful of that. I try to remember, in my daily interactions, to keep my words kind--or as kind as I can in a situation. I admit I fail more often than I would like, but I do my best to make sure the words I leave behind me will make people feel powerful, important, heard, supported. At the worst of times, I try to leave behind words that at least won't do any damage.

Words can move mountains. But they can also burn bridges…
Read more