Tonight is graduation night. Here are the givens–
1. It will be hot. We will initially be herded into the gym–almost 500 SaxonStrong–and all the breathing and moving around will raised the temperature by at least 10 degrees. Parts of my body only sweat on this night.
2. Students still won’t get it. This night totally doesn’t feel like one where graduation will happen, so it will be a little surreal in that gym. There’s only two outcomes–kids will either be crazy and do the wave and be very vocal OR it will be a tomb in there. My money is on tomb.
3. Kids will ask about their grades. Really.
4. Stars will shine bright on us, literally. Each year, we find the perfect seating arrangements so that the setting sun can hit as many people right in the face. I bring dark glasses.
5. Someone will fall. It’s tricky going from the track onto the football field. Watch your step, girls–it’s usually those heels that cause the most damage.
North High’s graduation is pretty great otherwise. It’s a small city that ends up being in attendance, and it’s a big deal for parents to see their kids graduate. I didn’t think it was a big deal when I graduated, but my parents certainly did. North High’s graduates are showered with attention and buried under leis of the flower and candy varieties.
The other given happened in class today. My honors students had their speaking final–identify an audience and tell them what they need to hear. One minute. And don’t even start on me with that final. Anyone who’s had me knows that there were three tests (book, short story, and cumulative) before today.
Students have a hard time speaking. There they are, up in front of the crowd of students, and if they TRY and don’t do well, then they will have failed. Better to act like you haven’t prepared, to only go for 30 seconds, and to end with “and, yeah.” Tough. I want students to speak and write like humans, and they need more practice, but trying is hard. And preparing.
Not going to be solved in a day. What will be solved in a day is this year. Thanks to today, I already have a new gameplan.