Tonight is graduation for the seniors at
our school. I get to read their names as they accept their diplomas. In
my typical fashion, I created a seating chart
and a list with reminders of pronunciations & emphasized syllables. It seems to me that it's just a drag if a name is said incorrectly in class, but it would be catastrophic in front of family
into a microphone. And I've been practicing (in the car, under my breath around the house) so I don't burst into sobs at any point during the ceremony; I found out yesterday that it will be streaming live on the school website. Suffice it to say I'm at least as nervous as the graduates about this gig.
I am thrilled for our students (thus the worry about bawling) because every one of them has had at least a couple more challenges than the average teen. To get to this point has meant an inordinate amount of blood, sweat, & tears (from them and us alike). It has been an honor teaching them, but I'm most rewarded by the times I connected with them outside of the classroom. I will get more kids to fill these emptying seats, but my heart will always have little pieces missing from the ones who move on.
He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying. ~Friedrich Nietzsche
