Classroom Kumbaya

High school students major in procrastination

The Journalism Kids tried to cram as many as possible on the old, dilapidated couch. FYI, I have no idea what this conversation was about, but it appears to have been fascinating. Photo: Author’s archives

One of my English students asked me a question a couple of decades ago.

“Ms. N., why would you ever want to teach high school students?”

I wanted to give her an inspirational response, something about “Helping young minds grow,” and “the benefits of a rewarding career.” Instead, though, I told her the truth.

“This is the best job I’ve ever had,” I said, without hesitation. “But y’all do tend to perturb me from time to time.”

That, and I was in a unique position, each and every day, to watch the ways in which the teenage mind works. And there’s nothing on God’s green Earth more fascinating than that.

You see, I was the high school’s Journalism teacher for 23 testing, trying and tumultuous years. And as such, I didn’t spend a lot of time in the front of the classroom, lecturing my cherubs and stuffing their brains with factoids and finite theorems. To tell you the truth, my time within the confines of Room 215 wasn’t terrible. It was pretty terrific — but not every educator would consider it so. Nor would they dare to do what I did for so long.

You see, I was in the improbable position — as a high school teacher, at least — of letting the little ones lead. And as a mentor and a guide, if…