A middle school teacher finds hope and silver linings in his students: 'They are learning about themselves and what is important in life.'
/
By Christopher John Mead
When I tell people I am a middle school teacher most reactions land in the realm of, “How can you do that?” or “I would never do that.”
Most people are scared of these kids in some way, but young people are what we have to look forward to. They shouldn’t be what we are afraid of.
We started online learning this month, and I am feeling hopeful for the future — for, as they say, it is in the hands of the youth.
In my first online learning assignment, I asked my students to write about what they have been experiencing during school closure. How has life changed? What did they take for granted before?
From those who are fortunate to have the resources to be able to respond to this online prompt, I have learned a profound lesson. In short, what I have found is that our students are learning a great deal about themselves and what is important in life.
They are spending time with their families, passing their days and evenings with board game nights, family basketball games, and movie nights. Siblings who hadn’t before are learning to appreciate their brothers’ and sisters’ companionship. Neighbors are coming together for socially distant street dance parties.
They are thinking about the environment, how the masses who are not traveling — by car, plane or otherwise — are reducing their impact on our planet. They are learning new skills, from piano to knitting to new languages. They are helping around the house and doing more chores. They are being thoughtful about not wasting precious materials.
Mostly what they miss is school. Although many are surprised they feel this way, it was a consistent theme. They miss their teachers, their friends, and learning in a classroom.
Young people are so resilient. Over and over, my students explained how they are going to come out of this as better people. They proclaimed the world will be a better place because we were forced to live a simple life, one that appreciates the time with family, time alone, and how communities and neighbors have come together to lift each other up when knocked down.
We will come out of this isolating time, but our society may never quite be the same.
Many things are uncertain right now, but what I have found to be certain is that I am confident in the hands of the youth. They are learning about what they once took for granted, what they appreciate about what they do have — the experiences with family, sunsets evenings, game nights, positive sibling rivalry, working together as a team, and what can be accomplished when they put that team before themselves. The simpler things in life.
The youth, in other words, are learning what it means to be good humans again.
Christopher John Mead lives in Portland, Oregon, where he is a social studies teacher, a songwriter and musician, and a dad. His album, “Phoenix,” is available wherever you stream or download music.
Buy “Phoenix” online or connect with Christopher John Mead on Facebook.
