supah dupah

A while back I had this idea about having a work session after school for the freshmen who had no clue about portfolios. We have this portfolio program at my school, and I advise these freshmen. I adore them in their clueless-ness. In three more years they will be launching into the next step. I want to be there for that, and more importantly, be here, now, for them. For this portfolio process which even I do not really understand.

So, the idea was two-fold. Help them and educate myself.

So I asked my boss, and I talked to some people with some money to spare (the lovely grant ladies) and I got a little budget for food and paper and markers and stuff. And I made some posters and I invited the freshmen to come and hang out for two hours and just work on this stuff as a big group.

Tonight was session two out of three. And it was awesome. Every kid that came thanked me. Every kid that came made me smile. Every kid that came showed me something unique and priceless about themselves.

It wasn't that brilliant of an idea, but it worked. We came together and worked together and learned together about what the portfolio really is.

One more session. It'll be more celebratory than stressful. These kids have more confidence now that they have something of value to share. I feel like I know what to ask of them when it comes to proving to whomever what it is they have done this year.

It feels good to be a freshman adviser tonight, even if it means giving up a Friday afternoon that was absolutely gorgeous. In return there is this group of clued-in kids who feel better about school.

I remember how much I hated school. How ironic it is that I spend 180 days a year working in one, now. I think sometimes of the people who inspire me to just be real about what it is we are doing. I want these kids to not hate what they are asked to do, but to understand it. That really, we the teachers want them to know what it is they know and be proud of who they are and will become.