Thoughts on Growing Up

Today I was asked to write about a time when I was launched into adulthood. I had a hard time thinking about when I decided to grow up. Upon reflection I thought about my life experiences and how I was always the youngest kid and I was coddled. When I was old enough to work, I chose to teach summer camp with the Girl Scouts and babysit. Then I chose to teach, in part because I thought it would be a joy to surround myself with children who had a spark for life’s moments, both big and small.

I never feel like a grown up when I teach. Sixth graders are this funny age in which they sometimes act like adults, then like kindergartens and then like emotional teens. Often I feel like they do, wearing my emotions on my sleeve spewing out my excitement or feelings of frustrations that bubble up to the surface, often when things don’t go my way.

I definitely don’t feel like an adult when I get to talk excitedly about the Divergent movie or about a new pop song on the radio. I feel joyful, excited, engaged. Isn’t that what we want from all students? Isn’t that what we hope that they never loose? I hope to always be a kid, if only a kid at heart.