Promising Moments

The news segment blaring a story about the mental health crisis swirling around young people may seem sensationalized and overstated.  It’s not.  The kids are not okay, and teachers, like me, struggle to find ways to reestablish a culture of empathy and kindness. Most recently, we’ve started using the Positivity Project after floundering a bit in our attempts to find a meaningful way to structure the 15 minute Community Circle time in our classes.  The students and I have participated in the project for a few months now, and I’m encouraged by the shift I see in the kids with whom I work. Granted I work with middle schoolers, and things are rarely “neat and tidy.”  That said, the Positivity Project facilitated moments that have held promise.  Moments that took my breath away, restoring my hope in our ability to promote real change in the hearts of our students.  And this teacher.

The first such moment happened when we were working on the attribute of Forgiveness.  The video clip and discussion prompts led us to discuss how heavy it is to carry the hurt and anger we have for another person.  You could hear a pin drop in our classroom as I reassured the students that they didn’t have to forget the wrong done to them. Instead they could release themselves from the constant intrusive thoughts about the person or incident through the act of forgiving or letting go.  Something about that simple, yet powerful, suggestion reached them, and I saw some nod in silent agreement.  At that moment I was struck by how many of my students are holding on to hurt and how ready they are to find a path to healing.

Another powerful moment happened during our work with the attribute of Love.  The day prior, the students had been highly engaged in identifying the types of love represented in the lyrics of popular songs.  The songs were thoughtfully selected to represent romantic love, a love of family, and love of self.  Despite our successful lesson the day before, I was hesitant to launch the writing prompt that followed.  The students were asked to write a letter of love and appreciation to themselves.  I was having a hard time imagining them taking the task seriously and even considered skipping it altogether. Boy, am I glad I didn’t.   I passed out the notebook paper and read the included prompt that asked them to write a letter of love & appreciation to themselves.

The kids were incredulous at first and asked for clarification questioning,”Wait, we’re writing letters to ourselves?!?!”  I reassured them that they could do it and also told them they would not be required to share the letters with anyone–even me.  I also encouraged them to move to a quiet spot away from others, explaining that they might write something to themselves that they wish someone would say to them.  I went on to explain, “That may bring unexpected emotions to the surface.”  And as I said that, my voice broke a little because I knew what I’d write to myself.  I’d tell myself that I’m still a dynamic teacher making a difference with kids. The kids noticed the quiver in my voice and they responded by becoming more invested in the task.  Later as we finished, I told them to fold and tuck their letters in a special place where they’d find it later.  They quietly did just that.  Not one letter wound up in the recycling bin.  

Life as a middle school teacher can be chaotic and noisy, so I’m savoring these moments of quiet hopefulness. 

Moments that suggest we will be able to recapture a school culture rooted in kindness, empathy and a joy for learning.

Thank you Pink for this song! The work of healing does require so much trust. It’s a “Trustfall, baby!”