Branching Out

Last night I had the honor of speaking to the Flippin Graduating Class of 2011. I taught these students when they were in the 7th and 8th grade. Every few years in a teacher's career a bond will be forged between a class and teacher. There was an immediate bond between this class and me. Some of my fondest memories as an educator have come from the time that I spent with these students.

They had asked me to speak at their graduation back when they were sophomores and I honestly figured that they would forget about me since I no longer taught at Flippin. Back in October I got a call from the senior class sponsor and she told me that I had been voted as their commencement speaker. I didn't take this responsibility lightly - in fact I saw it as one of the biggest challenges that I have faced as an educator. I wanted to make sure that I got it right.

As teachers, we sometimes forget that everything that we say and do is making an impact on students. I try to stay conscious of what I say and the tone with which I say it. Every day I tell myself to remember to guard my tongue and my actions. I never realized how much of what I had said and done was being "absorbed" by those middle school kids. As I sat down to put on paper what I wanted to say, a flood of emotions ran through my head. This was a large class, by Flippin standards, but I could tell you something about each one of those kids. I wanted to be able to write a speech that made each of them feel that I had written it just for them. I hope I was able to do that.

This morning those kids are alumni. No more will they walk the halls of Flippin School as students. That safety net that comes from being part of a group is weakened now. That feeling of belonging and being in a safe, familiar place is altered now. They will all go their separate ways and develop into their own unique individual adult personalities. They will come together again for reunions, but it will never be the same.

I hope the things that I chose to say will help them a little along their journey. I want the best for each of them. I wish they would never stumble or feel inadequate but I know that they will.

The them for my speech was the same as the title of my blog spot; "Don't Be Afraid to Climb on the Skinny Branches." I hope that they climb as high on the tree of opportunity as they can. And I hope they enjoy the view from atop those skinny branches.