aud’acious

We all sat in a circle today. At least in one of my classes. It was Deaf Day. No one was talking. But these students can sign, well. We played a complex version of a charade like game. It was the laughter. Teenagers play fun when you play fun first, so I did. I have learned that it’s not playing with them, it’s playing and then standing aside and being the background while they take the stage. Teachers that are playing and the center of attention soon learn they are no longer invited.

I’ve noticed that the trick to teenagers, at least for me, is taking them seriously. They want to fly and still can at that age. Giving them the wings makes them the most happy. So, yes. They have fun but they would also be upset if you didn’t teach them anything. If you never asked them to sit still and listen or think deeply or challenge themselves, they wouldn’t be satisfied. So I find myself exerting all my creative energy to come up with fun but dense academic experiences. An experience that sells the subject. I guess in a way, I’m in sales. I feel success when a student tells me they checked out a book on the Middle East just for fun. Or, they say they are doing a project on Iraq for their Geography class and need the pictures from our class project in Arabic.

They’ve taught me a lot, too. High school can be a microcosm of society. A student seeing the world different than me challenges my status quo. I’m learning to sit back and let things happen. A student who fixes everything in the class. A student who smiles through everything. A student who reads at every possible moment. A student who works with people or with team spirit. A creative student. An obedient student. A student who challenges, who immitates, who questions, who peace makes.

They may be faces to someone else, but to me they live in my heart and have been my associates for a year. We’ve shared the same space and I will never be the same…after being a teacher.