Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Ode to the Students of Provo High


My, my, it has been WAY too long since I wrote! It seems every night I have to debate whether I can type for 5 minutes, of if I would rather have those 5 minutes to sleep. Lately, the need for sleep has trumped everything.

So my time student teaching at Provo is coming to a close. On Monday I start commuting up to a middle school in Sandy. I'm actually really excited for a change and some new classes to teach, despite the added hour of driving every day. Boo. But I've really loved PHS. The cooking classes have been a blast, but suprisingly, my Adult Roles/Financial Literacy class has made a little place in my heart. I've been teaching the whole "Dating" unit to this class of 40 juniors and seniors at 7:35-9am every other morning. I've told them some of my great dating stories (the girl who has been on 98 first dates) and they've told me some of theirs. We've talked about why people get married these days, what's really important in a relationship, and I've pleaded with them to only marry for love. We've had some great talks, the highschoolers and I, and then the time I spend reading their assignments and grading their papers is my favorite part of the day!

I make them go on dates and tell me about them, write cute little proposals, stories of how they and their "one and only" will meet, and then write letters to their future spouses. These kids write the most moving stories, the most heartbreaking pledges of love, of how they want this love to last forever, of how they'll never love another. And their stories are simple and perhaps a little naive, but they really have thought about it, and they really believe in it! Its made me feel like a highschooler all over again, and in some ways, WANT to be a highschooler all over again because of how they are so in love with love! I've fallen in love with their love for love and their passion for what they want. They are so full of it, so dreamy and dramatic, and I love it.

So to the highschoolers of Provo High, thank you for letting me your little teacher, as inexperienced and scared as I've been to pretend that I know all about this stuff and that I actually have something to teach you. You've been great. I wish you all the best in life after high school.

1 comment:

Adam B said...

98 first dates, huh? You're almost there! And what's with the young women's lesson in public schools, huh? Having them write letters to their future spouses and writing stories about how they'll meet that special someone? Definitely young women's class.