HOW DO YOU FEEL?

School has been in session for 4 weeks now, and I have had the exhausting honor of getting to know 115 7th graders.  Hours have been spent practicing new locker combinations, organizing notebooks, and reviewing material that must be mastered.  My class started out reading and writing poetry.  One of the boys in my room raised his hand this week and inquired, "Ms. V., why does everything in your class have to be so emotional?"  I chuckled and replied, "Because life is emotional!" 

One of the reasons I connect deeply with literature, is because of the feelings that are stirred up as I devour the written word.  My students have a difficult time expressing themselves partly due to their age and partly because they have become a little robotic.  My own son primarily communicates in abbreviated messages filled with acronyms and emoticons. He is most comfortable when the teachers tell him exactly what he needs to do to be successful in class.  Down time might entail television or computer games.  At 14, he is at the age where he rarely tells me how he feels or what is going on inside his brain.

My days at school and at home are jam packed.  I am certain I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the hectic pace of living.  Our children are hurting, stressed, and struggling to articulate what is going on deep inside.  I have pledged to do my part and listen to the young people that have been entrusted to me.  I am going to take a deep breath and begin our journey together.  At school, I will look up from the computer, the lesson plans, and grade book to see the magic that is waiting to be uncovered in the young minds I meet daily.  At home, my boys and I will learn to talk to each other about our days.  I want to hear about the adventures Jake is experiencing in High School and the imaginative stories that Grant spins every afternoon. 

When was the last time you sat down in a moment of silence and asked yourself, "How do I feel?"  Did you take the time to listen to your own voice and respond to the desires of your heart?  Start with you, and then go out and touch those you love.  Listen to them, ask questions, and show that you want more than the chit chat that has become common.  If your children seem distant and hidden behind technology, go for a walk and show them what they have to say is important.  It might take time for them to begin to open up to you, but don't give up.  The poetry that was written by my students proved to me that our young people have not forgotten how to feel, they just don't know anybody cares.  I do...do you?