English teacher, Shakespeare admirer, vocabulary investigator, photographer, writer, reader, nerdfighter, wifey, doggy momma, daughter, friend, Family Guy fan, journalist, cheese lover. Also, I love Dave Matthews Band more than I love most things and people.
Class of 2013: Everything they said about you at graduation was true
Congratulations.
I didn't intend for my post to you to be so long, but I promise it's worth it.
It's taken me a few days to think about what to say to you, and it hasn't been easy. Frankly, the last three days have been some of the most exhausting days I've had in a while, and I was just tired. Now that I'm rested, and thinking about things that happened one year ago today, I think I'm ready.
Each of my class periods of seniors had its own personality, and I loved watching each group grow as a community, starting with the seating chart tests. I'm sure you all thought I was crazy, but it worked. You knew and respected each other. And that was my first priority. Period by period, here are my goodbyes.
Period 2: My Guinea Pigs
Truthfully, I felt bad for you all year until we started that block schedule. Until that block schedule, you were the class in which I had to test-run everything. And it was a few minutes longer than the other periods (announcements), so there where times when those extra 4 minutes were torture - I know. But did you complain? Not often. Did you resent me for it? No. Just like my No Grudge policy with you, each day was a new day, and I loved that about you. Thanks for your resilience, your willingness to try, and for asking questions when I didn't explain things well. Despite many of your reputations being less than stellar (yes, teachers talk), you're a good group who is going to do good things in the world. I'm glad I got to know each and every one of you. Thank you for constantly surprising me and respecting our time each day. Now that you're done, shed those reputations and move on to do the significant things you have planned. Each one of you is capable of whatever you want, and I have high hopes for you.
Period 5: My Clowns
Oh, 5th period. You were something else. So much personality, yet so engaged. Our discussions were hilarious, thoughtful, and productive despite how much you loved to be off-task. You did more work than you probably realized, and you made me laugh daily. I truly enjoyed this class so much, and I appreciate your understanding of how to be amusing and respectful. There were only a few moments when I felt disrespected, and when I told you, you knew you had crossed the line. You reeled it in, and learned for next time. I don't think I'll ever enjoy creative writing days as much as I did with 5th period. You are going to do amazing things. Keep talking, keep laughing, keep working.
Period 6: My Intellectuals
Period 6, you were a breath of fresh air each day. Calm, sweet, engaged. Sometimes sleepy, but who isn't by 6th period? You were lucky that I had the other classes to perfect my directions, mini-lectures, or activities, and things always ran pretty well. I was always surprised by what Period 6 would come up with in its writing or other homework. While you definitely had some personality, this class was also full of thinkers. People who don't always like to talk in class, but would have tons to say on the pages of their homework. Period 6 is full of writers. Even people who claimed they hated writing or were bad at writing were writers in Period 6. Keep writing. Keep thinking. Start talking. Now's your time.
Watching you all graduate was an experience I couldn't have predicted. You're the first students of mine I've ever watched graduate, and for some of you, it wasn't surprising or a relief, it was just happy. For others, I really didn't believe it until I heard your name and watched you walk. You deserved to graduate, I just hoped your other teachers agreed. Graduation was a relief to me more than anything else - you did it. I helped, but you did it. And I'm so proud of you. And I was so happy. Just happy.
The only part of graduation that made me cry was hearing Orlando's name.
I don't know if it was intentional or just lucky, but I felt privileged to have so many friends and family of Orlando in my classes this year. I felt like we had this unspoken, but undeniable, support system that everyone needed, especially at the beginning of the year. I didn't talk about him this much this year, but my heart hurt every time I saw his face on your binders, your shirts, your pins on your backpacks. He should have been at graduation with you.
What you've done in his memory is remarkable. What you've done to thrive despite the pain is inspiring.
Class of 2013, you are going to do amazing things in the world. I get pretty cynical about our society, but you give me hope. Get out there, be good people, and like Mr. Barnes said - do something that benefits other people. The world needs you.
Please Help! We’re in the finalists to open for The Shins, Jack White, Of Monsters and Men, Metric and Gaslight Anthem. You can vote once per day!
Vote Here on a Computer
Vote Here on a Phone!
Facebook Group
One of the perks of teaching high school is that kids know what's funny. And they tell you. And you watch whatever they tell you. And they laugh.
One of my awesome seniors (hi, Lloyd!) let me borrow Mean Girls because I hadn't seen it before. I was a bit skeptical, mainly because it stars Lindsay Lohan, and, well, need I say more? But when the opening credits started and I saw "a Lorne Michaels production," I was intrigued. Then I saw Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, and the guy who plays the janitor on Scrubs, and I knew I was in good shape. It was awesome and funny.
Another senior had made an It's Always Sunny reference in class that I hadn't recognized, and he said, "You have to watch that episode! It's so funny!" Joey randomly purchased Season 7 yesterday, so I watched that episode- Chardee and MacDennis: The Game of Games. The reference Drew made in class was that someone would have to eat a cake, but one ingredient at a time. It was indeed so funny, and might be my new favorite episode. It's tough to top the Nightman musical episode, or the intervention episode, or the World Series Defense episode, but this one is up there for sure.
“What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.” — Anne Lamott
I guess the real metaphor is not you-can-only-make-stuff-if-people-hold-you-up; the real metaphor here is that together-things-happen-that-can-never-happen-alone, which is a very important thing for an introverted and socially anxious person like me to realize. I guess these days this is a politically charged statement, but it seems to me manifestly true: You make nothing alone. Human beings are not mere competitors, and human life is not merely competition. We are collaborators. To be human is to catch the falling person.
If we lose great teachers, we lose a great society.
Debbie Padilla, principal of Ann Sobrato High School
I invited Ms. Padilla in to my journalism class for a press conference. My journalism students had amazing questions prepared for her, and she happily answered them honestly and thoroughly. Many of her answers were touching, but this one really struck me.
So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do.
—Dead Poets Society
Simplify, Simplify @msguthrie-blog-blog - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
