Tonight, I begin my EMT certification training. This is a good thing! However, tonight is also graduation night for the high school students at the very small charter school that I taught at for three years. I left there two years ago when funding for my position ran out. It was a very tough time in my life and to leave the students, so many good kids that I'd grown so close to during my tenure, was very difficult.
Well, fast forward to graduation this year, two of my students contacted me asking me to be at the ceremony. My feelings about going back are mixed at best but these were two of my closer students and it felt really good to be asked to be there for that occasion. If I could, I would.
Then I registered for this course. A good decision; I couldn't put off taking the course for a couple of months because of something at a school I worked at two years ago, right? I just have had a hard time not feeling bad about letting down these students. So, anyhow, that was settled; until I received a phone call Sunday from a former colleague who is in charge of the ceremony. Apparently, not only did these two students contact me but several had asked for me to speak at the ceremony! Now, let me explain. I was a teacher who hated to lecture/speak publicly. I did everything I could to minimize my "front of class" time and get the students working in groups or on projects and then mixing with them. That was my style, what I was comfortable with. For the most part, it worked well for me and I believe them too. This request was received with disbelief and dread but also with a bit of interest. I do have things I'd like to tell these kids, one last time, while they are interested in listening. But what would I say to them, in that time and place?
Perhaps I can string together my thoughts into something coherent and share it here at a later time. Now, I need to go to class and I'll report back tomorrow.
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