there was a pep rally at school today to celebrate: the girls’ basketball’s winning season and spot in the playoffs, the soccer team’s first real season, the rather unwieldy number cheerleaders that seem to simply exist in our school, the highly competitive and talented speech and debate team, and last but not least, the first time our boys’ basketball team has won a game. ever. in 7 years. and this year they won 3. maybe 4 if they won tonight (i’m not sure, i went home sick).
the pep rally was: run by seniors, held after school and only kids who wanted to attend came. we had half the school there and it felt like a real pep rally. you know. like the ones your high school had, when you would momentarily debate cutting out of school and going to the beach, or wherever to hang out (i never did that because a) i had no car and more importantly b) i was a giant nerd who lived in fear of both my parents and teachers finding out i’d done something wrong and judging me), but in the end you’d go because you wanted to make sure that your class was the one that got the most shout outs or whatever. it felt like that. pretty great. as a teacher in the city, sometimes the high school experience i see and have to manage doesn’t really feel the way high school is supposed to. you know?
but anyway. my blast from the past came well after the pep rally, and long after the 90 minute duel i fought with the 4th floor copier to make 135 copies of a 32 page packet for my global history unit on imperialism in the Congo Free State (i lost, but only by 3 copies).
after a chilly walk to the bus stop, i hopped the B52 bus and got ready to talk myself out of a much needed trip to the gym (i definitely ate that free bagel with cream cheese that was leftover from an earlier meeting today. breaking my no starches rule in a moment of weakness seemed unavoidable at 9am). a friend called while i was on the bus, and during our conversation, the engine and the lights started flickering. as i said “ugh. we’re in fort greene and i’m nowhere near the train i need” a voice next to me said “the 26 bus is here too.” i turned to nod a thank you, and did a double take. “i have to call you back,” i managed to get out before hanging up my phone. i had been sitting next to one of my former students for 15 minutes, and not realized it, because we were both bundled up. or at least, i was so bundled up in my hat and scarf that i could barely see the outside world.
we chatted about where he was going to school; how he wants to transfer to another school to finish his degree, and how he was scandalized by a fellow student sitting in a big lecture class drinking beer out of a clear plastic bottle directly in front of the professor. and suddenly, i felt old. i was his teacher when he was a spacey, goofy 11th grader who struggled to remember where he’d left his notebook in a given 10 minute period. here he was a grown up. with a plan. and steps for how to get that plan going. and perhaps most impressively of all, a helpful attitude toward his fellow bus-riders.
i haven’t had many chance encounters with former students but this was particularly well-timed. we’ve hit the point in the year when i get antsy for various breaks and anxious about the end of the year standardized test, all at once. a much needed positive encounter could get me through at least this weekend.
stay tuned for next week: valentine’s day at a high school is the stuff nightmares are made of.
