Every year another 8th Grade Seattle trip serves up many blessings and reminds me why I do what I do - teach. This year was no different. It actually starts before the trip itself, even at the beginning of the year when I hear from students that one of their goals for the year is to make the cut for the trip (blessing #387). It is even better when I see it motivate them in their work in class (#388) and better still when I hear from parents that they are seeing the effort at home as well (#389). As the trip draws near, the anticipation of the students and their excitement to receive their invitation can be felt. One of the greatest moments is delivering the invitation (#390), especially to some who thought they might not make it (Parker and Ben #391).
The trip itself - what some see as crazy - is staff with 40 kids for three days of constant activity. It is a blast and a privilege to go with other staff (#392) that share my vision for rewarding outstanding citizens and students. This year’s group of adults were as good as any group before, including two parents who came to accommodate their handicapped boys and were awesome at “going with the flow” and making things work for everyone involved. What, at first made me nervous, turned into a great blessing (#393).
But the best part of the trip is just spending time with the students in a totally different context outside of school - joking and laughing with them, making late night runs to McDonalds, playing silly games and laughing at all the goofy things that 8th graders do. Simple things from them are blessings, like getting surrounded by students wanting to give me a hug... after they have been running through the fountain in Seattle center (#394). Like saying that they have never seen me laugh so much, and they like it (#395). Like simple “thank you’s” (#396). Like sneaking up on me when I am sleeping on the bus (#397). Like an admission that I wore out one of the most high energy kids on the bus, even after he said that I couldn’t (#398).
But my favorite blessing of all was the response to challenges. I was concerned about this year’s group, because their “normal” is loud - not bad, just loud. They do not know whispers and they do not know calm. Things are done at full volume and full speed. On a trip like this, full volume and full speed can be a problem on a tour of a college or in a hotel. But these kids responded to the challenge to have self control and what I thought would be a problem, never materialized (#399). But the best response to a challenge was by leaders in the group working with other students they might not be comfortable with. Part of the program is to build robots for a competition. We arranged the students into groups of four, purposely separating friends and putting “leaders” in groups that could have been a challenge. Our leaders responded and exceeded expectations, proving that they really are leaders, more so than they know (special kudos to Tyson and Payton - blessing #400).
Sometimes I forget that 8th graders often act like, well, 8th graders and I want them to act like adults. But then, sometimes, I expect them to act like 8th graders and they act better than adults. I am proud of this year’s DPMS 8th Grade Top 40 and I am blessed to have spent three days with them (and the adults)!
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