Although I had lovely connections with many of my students, when I was a class teacher I had a group of boys in my class with whom I really clicked. These boys would gather around my desk every day at lunch and just want to talk- about their lives and about my thoughts and feelings on topics of interest to them. We shared stories and jokes. They were all profound thinkers and they pushed the class discussions to deeper and deeper places. They were actors and elevated the quality of the class plays, singers who brought even our singing in middle school, to life, and a funny and spirited bunch of guys that brought out the best in me. I was lucky enough to have the class for five years- from fourth grade through eighth grade graduation.
I took a year after eighth grade graduation, left the country, and taught at a Waldorf initiative in Mexico, while the young men in the class went on to high school. Most of them went to the Waldorf high school in town. After my Mexican sojourn, I returned to the states and took a position as a humanities teacher. Now I had most of these guys as a teacher again. Now they were older, even funnier, even more talented- and all taller than I! The connection deepened and the fireworks in the classroom shot higher. Together we dove into Renaissance History, Dante’s Inferno, Global Studies, the tenth grade play (Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman) and so much more. The head was able to go so much further because the heart was so wide open. I had lovely relationships with their families. We attended political rallies, worked to make the school an even better place, discussed and debated every topic imaginable. I wrote letters of recommendation for college and for jobs. Kept in touch by e-mail and Facebook, and barbecued for them when they came up to visit me in my new life.
This summer, one of these young men got married and I was thrilled and touched to be invited to the wedding (the bride a former student as well) and to see most of them in one place again. Now they are in their mid-twenties, finding their place in the world. I watch in awe as they strive to balance keeping their hopes and values alive while figuring out how to pay the bills. They are as connected to one another as ever. I may have been in the teacher role, but they, for all these years, have given me hope and inspiration. The relationship shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Can’t wait until they start having kids!
