This past week was "Graduation Week". Our Grade 8s and Senior Kindergarten students had their special ceremonies. I wrote about last year's ceremonies on my blog and focused on the behind-the-scenes efforts of everyone involved to make the events successful. It is still an important truth, but this year, I'll talk about humility and anxiety.
Our fantastic Grade 8 teacher, who has been giving 110% percent all year, fell sick. She was very concerned that she was unable to complete the final arrangements prior to the big day. Thankfully, she was able to attend the graduation ceremony but had to leave shortly afterwards. She is still recovering. The good news is that we believe in the mantra "the show must go on" and many other teachers were able to pitch in. I was present for the rehearsals that began two weeks before, so my fellow co-chair and I took care of that portion. Our French teacher and several volunteer Grade 9s decorated the gym. Other staff members took care of the medals, programs, and transforming the library into a fancy dining environment for the soon-to-be-high-schoolers.
The students themselves were practically vibrating with excitement and nerves on June 19. Lots of worries, both big and small, peppered their thoughts. Sometimes I question whether or not we make graduation "too much of a big deal". My American-born husband is always surprised by how elaborate many elementary school graduation ceremonies can be. I even wonder if some of the talks we give our students contribute to their anxiety, by elevating this one event to be something particularly memorable and monumental. This anxiety can be a bit contagious. Even some of the adults had moments of self-doubt. People asked others to check over their award speeches. They looked at seating plans. Structure and rehearsal helped calm some of these concerns and it ended up being a fantastic evening.
The same was true for our SK graduation, held the next day; it was a lovely celebration. Having said that, one of our students became completely overwhelmed and refused to come up to the front to receive his scroll. Instead, we went to him. We didn't force him. During the song, he hid behind the curtains. During the class photo, he ran away. It's important to realize that some of these milestone events are more for the families than for the individual students themselves. I know it can be disappointing for the parents to not capture a photo of their little cutie on stage, but it isn't always in the cards. We teachers can try to prepare the students as best as we can to deal with the fear our students might feel (again, with structure and rehearsals so they know what to expect), but even then, the pressure may be too much for some little ones. In that case, we grownups need to adapt. That's why it's wonderful that a big part of the kindergarten graduation program involves a pre-made video featuring photos of all the students throughout the year doing all sorts of wonderful things. Our SK graduation ceremony also features a moment when positive things are said about each and every student. So, even if a child is unable or unwilling to perform, they are still featured and honoured.
I was honoured to receive an absolutely adorable "corn bouquet", with replicas of me, one of the kindergarten teachers, and one of the ECEs! (I'm the one with glasses!)
I also wonder, as other teachers did during a conversation in the staffroom, whether or not part of the "cure" for this anxiety is, conversely, to give them multiple opportunities to do things that somewhat scare them, so that they learn to deal with their feelings in productive ways in safe spaces. This "stage support", and the need to provide these changes to practice doing the things that might make them uneasy, was evident during our annual Story Jam. Selected students from the primary division were invited to recite their memorized stories or poems for the other Grade 1-4 classes. Many of the students were really apprehensive. Some of the classroom teachers had to sit next to them, with the paper version of the story in their hands, to reassure them. Public speaking is a common phobia, but if we educators do things to help alleviate this fear, maybe it can help in other areas of life as well.
"Don't be shy; give it a try." Even tiny, timid baby bunnies venture out of the nest to explore. There's a mama bunny with four kits that are living in my strawberry patch and under our deck. My husband captured these photos of them bravely facing the world.
Finally, I want to recognize someone who is graduating in a different way - she's retiring! Congratulations to Parviz Paliwalla. Parviz was an EA at our school for many years. Even when she was transferred to a different school, she maintained contact with us. She let us know that this June is her final year in education, and so several of us met for dinner to recognize this big life change. (I didn't show images of the entire crew, because I didn't get permission from everyone to share.)
Congratulations Parviz on your retirement, and congratulations to everyone on their school achievements, big and small.
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