It is hard to believe that another school year has run its course. Like every year before, and likely after this one, there were tremendous highs and a few pretty good lows. When I started teaching, I had no idea of the kind of roller-coaster ride that working with Middle School-age students would entail. And yet, these many years later, it still amazes me. In the classroom, students and their teachers can move from a moment of delightful achievement to the need to reset class norms in less than five seconds. This “ready or not” aspect of working with young people means that we need to always be ready as adults to bring our “A” game and support their emotional, intellectual, and moral development, regardless of what may show up from moment to moment.
I had a great time at Continuation and our End-of-the-Year Town Meeting, congratulating ALL of the Middle School students on their effort and achievement this year. As a group, they gave their best to being in a community and to learning. As a community, I am proud of how they supported one another and how they did their best to help each other be good human beings. This was, of course, not a perfect trajectory, but on the whole, there was a tremendous amount of social-emotional growth. In the classroom, students became better problem solvers, collaborators, writers, and thinkers. For the Eighth Graders, these efforts culminated in their Capstone Projects in which they chose a challenge, worked together to solve it, and worked with outside experts from around Denver.
At Continuation, I had the opportunity to share my best wishes to our Eighth Graders before they moved on to high school. My hope is that my remarks will play a small role in steering them in the right direction. I had three messages, all of which could be found literally on the CLASSROOM WALLS that surrounded them these past three years. The messages were:
- “Remember the power of ‘NOT YET.’” In other words, learning is always going to be challenging, particularly when it is something new. I invited the class to reflect on their many achievements and the effort they put in to make them happen. There are often quite a few “I am not there quite yet” moments between being a novice and becoming an expert. Achievement comes through perseverance.
- “No winter lasts forever and no spring fails to arrive.” My message here was that life will not move jauntily from one success to the next; instead, there will be hard times, really hard times. These will provide important learning moments, if you take the time to look closely. And then, “spring” will arrive. Things will get better, and you will appreciate these good times even more. Life has seasons and each should be appreciated.
- “Be the person your DOG believes you are.” Yes, I finished with a reminder that it truly does matter what kind of person you are and whether you have done your best to be kind, humble, inclusive, and courageous.
I want to close by thanking my colleagues, CA parents, and our students for the wonderful sixteen years that I have enjoyed in the Middle School. It has been a wonderful experience for my wife and for me. Back in 2006, when we heard that there was an opening at CA, we jumped at the chance and have never for one moment regretted that decision. CA has been a home professionally, but equally importantly, it has been the place where our children grew up surrounded by an extraordinary community and team of educators. Thank you for your support, collaboration, and patience. I look forward to staying in touch and to hearing about the wonderful next chapter of the Middle School, which will begin next year. Here is my final thought: Nuanaarpug! (In the Inuit language, it means to take extravagant pleasure at being alive!)
With fondness and appreciation,
Bill