Remember when you were a kid and it often felt like all the adults were in a room making decisions about you and never asking you what you wanted or believed?
Yeah- sometimes that’s kinda like our schools. And also kinda like this blog.
So for once (call it spring fever) I decided to venture into the warm afternoon breeze and bug tables of youth trying to enjoy some social time. With all of the great quotes coming in from teachers about the insanity that is trying to teach in the spring semester, I decided to ask the students what it’s like being in their shoes this time of year. Here’s what I learned: middle school students are mostly pumped/energetic/delighted by all the interruptions and social opportunities; upper school students use the word “stressed” a lot. I haven’t untangled if that has to do with our own structures, or simply coming-of-age. Here’s a mish-mash of what they said, with a little creative reimagining in the form of a found poem.
Tired all the time,
Hectic.
Chaotic.
No free time!
No flex periods!
Overwhelming.
Stressful because of workload,
Everything starts to ramp up,
Energy is down,
Tests, exams, SATs, and PSAT’s,I don’t know what to do ever.
(All the teachers put a lot more work on you to make you more prepared),
But it’s kinda like a truck . . . and I want them to ease us into it.
Missing way too much school,
Senioritus as a junior,
You can feel the energy from the students, their lack of paying attention in class.
Last chances:
The last quarter for juniors where colleges see grades,
Lots of random events going on,
Rescheduling classes,
Disorganized.
(You improve your time management anyway?).
Nobody will shut up about college.
Checked out of school right now
[With] summer weather [it’s] hard to keep up with school work.
Mentally in summer zone.
Awful.
Each Monday the cycle continues.
It feels the same as any time in the year,
At least it’s almost over, so that’s cool.
We have freedom, but we don’t.
School is killing me.
For some people they might say it’s more taxing,
but for me it’s been a little lax,
but that might be because I work ahead . . .
I like to get all my schoolwork done at school.
It’s actually nice outside.
Hot.
Recess is a lot of fun [when] the weather is a lot nicer,
(We have to wait outside classrooms.)
More things are blossoming,
It’s pretty outside,
And the flowers and the pollen,
More allergies.
I love that it’s getting hotter,
I don’t like tornados,
I love how the campus brings it all together,
It being warm and sunny everyday,
We’re not freezing!
It’s the same, but there are more allergies and the weather is warmer.
I feel like it’s kind of more relaxed (the school year’s starting to die down),
Like we’ve really developed good relationships with our teachers
Now we’re all comfortable in the classrooms together,
Even having to speak in front of your classmates.
I feel like there’s a lot more things to do because a lot more is happening:
May Day, sports games, Olympics are fun.
We get to sit with our friends at lunch!
Teachers, we want you to know:
Five minute breaks are much more appreciated,
Just because students don’t know something doesn’t always mean they haven’t been trying; sometimes we have missed a class,
(Sports in spring make it hard to have accountability.)
Or you forgot that you didn’t teach it to this section.
[I know] the work stresses me out more than it should.
(I was obviously busy studying for the other tests I have!)
We have other classes and other activities;
(Be aware of other stuff we have going on as well.)
We can’t do everything for every class.
Try to be lenient.
Don’t get really mad at me.
Give us a break!
We are trying!
Shake it up!
Help with the pollen!