The great thing about working somewhere that moves in cycles is that each year you get a chance to start over. Have a new attitude, try something new, tweak something you've already done. A chance to do things better. This year I'll be trying some new things for sure but as I enter another year in this job I want to make sure I never forget why I do this, the kids.
It's funny, when people ask me what I do for a living and I tell them I teach high school students the other person is never excited. They usually say something like, "Wow! I could never do that." or "I'm sorry." I even had one women last week say that there was no way she could even hang around teenagers today. In the end I always have to ensure them that I do actually like it and choose to be there.
I think that what people don't realize however, is that teens today really aren't that different then ever before. While I'm only ten years out of high school, it seems that things are pretty much the same; they wear their emotions on their sleeves, love their friends dearly, don't realize how good they might actually have it and are always ready to be older than they are.
What a lot of people don't see is when you take the time to know these people, what they care about and how to get them fired up about life, these young people can do inspiring things. A lot of times they don't realize that something "can't" be done, so they just do it. The passion that can be found in young people today and in any era really is an amazing thing that can change the world. It's inspiring to see them work together, try something new they've never done and tackling a project with no fear.
So as I get ready for another school year, one thing I'll be working on is finding that passion and inspiration within myself and bringing that to work. Going big or going home! Showing these students that it's okay to be excited about something you care about or believe in, it's okay to be yourself.
