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Wonder, Wish, Wait


Sometimes I wonder.  

I have thoughts about what the world will be like for my students when they grow up.  I’ve had fourteen classes (including this year) and when I reach back to my first year of teaching I realize that the world was much different when I walked into the classroom in late August, 2001 than what it is now.  The students I had back then are in their early twenties today.  The world they currently live in is vastly different from when they were fourth graders.  Technology has advanced exponentially, education has shifted dramatically, wars have been fought, leaders have come and gone, medical science has advanced, and people are more connected to one another as well to events of the world like never before.

Sometimes I wish. 

I often find myself seeking answers to questions that can only be answered by time.  I attempt to mentally play out the future the way I think it’s going to proceed knowing full well that the future is to be left to itself; and that the present time is what’s most important.  It’s the teacher in me, I suppose…planning lessons, predicting outcomes, preparing for multiple scenarios and knowing all along that some of the best lessons are the ones that come from some semblance of spontaneity.   I wish I could reach into the future to help prepare my student for it…but alas to no avail.

Sometimes I wait. 

In my early years as a teacher I often wanted things to move quickly.  Most likely I was robbing, from my students, the time needed to formulate answers.  I’ve learned over the years that learning is truly a process of experiences, patience, and perseverance.  Today I step back more often, allowing the natural flow of learning take command, releasing responsibility to my students, and knowing that the present moment is the only one that really matters as they grow.

To wonder, wish, and wait. 

A teaching philosophy that is becoming part of me as an educator; and as I engage in these processes, I still can’t help but imagine what the future holds for the young people I teach today.  What will they confront?  How will they fare?  Who will they be?

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