What They've Learned

My seniors created lists of things they've learned, some school-related, but many not. This is long, but here are the highlights. They did surprise me with their thoughtful creativity. Good job, Kids. Countdown: 10 days.

I’ve Learned…

That if you take your time, things will come out better.

School is difficult, but life is harder.

That people who wear funny shoes are the coolest.

That nail polish always chips at the worst possible time.

That people are not always who they seem to be…both good and bad.

Every action has a consequence.

You can never trust anyone, no matter how genuine they seem.

To wait; not everything comes at once.

That religion can make a major difference in someone’s life.

To always remember, but never regret.

That going to school is hard, but not having an education will make life harder.

That early mornings can be just as fun as late nights.

No matter how nice one’s clothes are, it has nothing to do with how nice they are.

It is better to fix something when it first goes bad then to wait until it gets worse.

To never use the second floor bathroom.

That good things never last.

All animals love you unconditionally.

Life can be challenging, but get over it!

How hard it is to say goodbye to that special someone who is never coming back.

With a smile on your face, it can get you through the day.

That words can make or break someone’s spirit.

That we own our possessions; our possessions don’t own us.

Your gut feeling is your friend and you shouldn’t ignore it. In the end, it can save you from a terrible ending.

Some people will just be your friends because you have a car.

Everything goes by so fast; don’t be in such a hurry.

Each choice you make in life will impact and change the rest of your life.

That you can’t make somebody like/love you.

School is like a fashion runway; you’ve got to dress to impress.

That some friends change; you’ve got to learn to accept them.

Moving furniture over the stain will only help temporarily.

Don’t tell your little brother that Santa isn’t real…let him believe it as long as possible!

We have to try harder to understand people who are different from us.

That how you react might be more important than how you act.

That I like to be by myself because I like myself.

That people who get bored are boring.

How to use semicolons.

Not to blame myself for the harm that others have done to me.

Anger and happiness are infectious.

The people who really care about you don’t have to tell you; they show you every day.

Seventeen isn’t too young to start drinking coffee.

That sometimes the easiest path isn’t always the right one.

That life is like the economy…there are states of recession and depression.

That saying what you want can get you what you want.

That getting behind with schoolwork makes graduating a lot harder.

That too much of a good thing can be bad.

To help others even if they won’t help you.

To never fear anyone, especially oneself.

That ditching is like a drug; it’s addicting and nothing good comes from it.

That insurance companies ALWAYS screw you.

That regret is the direct result of hesitation.

That I want to learn more.

That committing suicide is not a sign of escape, but of hiding.

That being weird is what makes you unique.

That a smile is the best way to communicate.

That you can know a person through his smile.

To never talk back to teachers.

To never go fishing without a fishing pole.

That I am in the world to change the world.

Looks can be deceiving.

You shouldn’t trust those who know you the least.

How to forgive but not forget.

That love is complicated, so avoid it.

That if you don’t practice, you won’t get any better.

That it’s okay to be yourself no matter who is around.

That problems are like boomerangs; they always come back to hit you in the face.

That friends are family.

Rich people don’t tip well.

People can smile when they’re going through hell.

High school isn’t the end-all, be-all.

That hard work is easier than procrastination.

That the good and bad in life are unexpected.

That everyone has a choice about what they get out of life.

That being wrong is not always right and being right is sometimes wrong.

To always drive with as few people as a Geo Metro can fit.

That the truth hurts.

That when meeting someone you never know who you’re saying hello to until you say goodbye.

That love is magic even a magician cannot pull off.

That the only “American Dream” is in my sleep.

That saying something is better than saying nothing.

That a missed day of school in Calculus is like a missed week.

That Macbeth isn’t as boring as I thought it would be.

That you should never lie to your mother.

Not to do everything at the last minute.

That if you treat your parents right you will have a good life.

That if you don’t ask questions you will never find an answer.

That you should never give up on something you really want.

That you have to take life one step at a time.

That my experiences as a child are what have made me who I am today.

That Ms. Stutelberg is as funny as a cow.

If you want the best, you have to go through the worst.

No matter how high a goal is, one day you will grow and be able to reach it.

You should learn to appreciate what you have before you lose it.

Love is the most bitter medicine that no one can say “no” to.

That babies have their own language and world.

That knowing everything could cause you to know nothing.

To be myself with my friends; they like me for who I am.

Confidence can make or break a man.

Not to think so low and negative about myself.

Not to make promises if I know I’m going to break them.

That getting a C can be just as gratifying as getting an A.

Sometimes the happiest things in life can also be the scariest.

In order for people to accept you, you have to accept yourself.

Life is crazy, but I’m happy to live a crazy life.

That school comes first.

That a teen without his parents is like an explorer without a compass.

You won’t appreciate someone until you lose him/her.

That seatbelts work.

That nature provides us with an escape from the world.

That music can get a person through the hard parts of life.

That when I’m mad, taking walks late a night can calm me down.

That the stupid things I do with my friends have been the best times of my life.

That learning to tie your shoes isn’t that important…there are always flip flops and velcro!

That making friends is easy; it’s keeping them that’s hard.

Happiness is more than an emotion; it’s a way to live your life.

That senioritis is overrated and only gets you into trouble.

Don’t eat beef jerky, pop tarts, and a Gatorade right before you race in track.

It’s okay to make a mistake.

Women are always right, even when they’re wrong.

Life is too complex to over-think it.

When objects are glowing red, don’t touch them.

How to apply math to every day life (unfortunately).

How to take an ordinary day, and make it extraordinary.

How to keep my mouth shut.

Never to eat the cafeteria food.

That graduating and graduation in general is only as hard as we make it.

That watching South Park at school is not just a pipe dream.

To never tell a lie, if you’re not going to remember it.

That every person is special and unique in his/her own way.

That traveling makes you see your own country differently.

That sometimes it’s okay to say “no.”

That my mom does more for me than I could every repay.

That girls are the most complex thing on this planet. They are the only thing I will never understand.

That you really need to treat others as you would like to be treated.

That boys are easier to get along with than girls.

To listen to my parents.

That boys only bring drama to your life.

To think wisely and speak loudly.

That one day can change your whole life.

That all my friends have a different opinion on who should be president.

The more you suffer, the more you care.

Trust is fragile and is easily betrayed.

That being nice can bite you in the butt.

Never wear white to Elitches.

To tell the people I love that I care about them because tomorrow is never promised.

Never chug a 2 liter of Mountain Dew.

You shouldn’t grow up too fast because childhood is a treasure.

What does a teacher do on a day with no students?

Today is a day for professional development and planning. It was orginally supposed to be a day for grading course assessments, but the district didn't have the course assessments ready to give, let alone grade. So instead we are professionally developing and planning. What does a teacher do on a day with no students?

1. Gets to school at 7:15 (required work time) instead of 6:30 (to make copies, update grades, clean up room, get ready for students).

2. Stops for a latte instead of drinking home brew, black.

3. Doesn't pick up student she's been giving a ride to school all year.

4. Attends 8:00 meeting with department and principal. Reviews unit planning and next steps to prepare new curriculum for next year so we don't have to do the canned curriculum that the district is shoving down our throats. Makes a "To Do" list while in the meeting.

5. Cleans room up. Makes a space on desk to sit and work. Picks up the floor and straightens the desks. Erases and cleans the chalkboards. Throws unclaimed old projects and assignments in the trash. Takes down old projects off the walls and hangs new ones.

6. Writes summer assignments for honors students. Gets feedback from colleagues.

7. Makes an appointment to take the car in to get it looked at tomorrow morning. Prints mapquest directions to the dealership.

8. Checks plans and e-mails.

9. Talks to neighbor about strategies for teaching students to annotate.

10. Meets department in the main hall for lunch. Granny's Pie Shop! Yum. Actually gets to eat lunch instead of wolfing down yogurt, fruit, and crackers while grading papers and helping students with their make-up work.

11. Back from lunch, reads and annotates Romeo and Juliet for the billionth time to prepare for next week's lessons.

12. Grades a (small) stack of papers.

13. Helps mentee with the action plan and records of teaching for mentee's professional evaluation.

14. Updates grades in gradebook.

15. Time to go home (3:15 instead of 4:00-4:30 helping students, grading papers, getting things ready for tomorrow...).

And interesting to note: The bells continue to ring on schedule during a no-student contact day. It is strange to hear them and have them mean nothing. I instinctively look up at the clock to check the time when they ring.

Also to note: The silence (minus bells ringing every 52 minutes) is eerie. That's why I "collaborate with colleagues" so much and also talk to myself.

Last time we had a day without students, my kids came back on Monday asking "What happenend in here?" The answer: When you have a day without students, sometimes all you can bring yourself to do is rearrange the furniture.