Please note the asterisk in this column’s title. I’ll explain later.
Students often ask me who my favorite student is or was. They want to know who my favorite class is or was. It’s a pretty natural question; kids are competitive and also are seeking acceptance.
When asked about my favorite student, the answer is pretty simple. It’s a large group of students over time who had good attitudes and worked hard. They weren’t all A students either. I’ve had plenty of great kids who did the best they could and always strove to get better. Having a good attitude is a big part of being considered a “favorite,” and personalities tend to shine in kids who smile.
But my favorite all-time class? That’s actually pretty easy. I direct your attention to my Honors group of kids in the class of 2024.
I had these students for two full* (There’s that darn asterisk again!) years. I put an asterisk because they were in 8th grade in March of 2020 when Covid hit and we shut down schools.
Prior to that, this had been a group of 24 which had really been a joy to have in my classroom. There were a couple of stars who were a little lax on getting some items done on time in 7th grade, and the group made a deal with me: If everyone turned in every assignment, I would bring in cookies. Sure, no problem.
And then the stakes went up.
By the end of the year, we had a pizza party. Every student had completed every assignment. Let the good times roll, since that had never happened in any of my classes, ever.
You might say, “Well, wait a minute. They got bribed to do their work.” That’s true, from a certain point of view, but it was also a solution to a problem they came up with. They really, genuinely wanted everyone in their class to have success, so they formulated an idea that would help that happen.
And you might also say, “Well, wait a minute. These were Honors students. They should get their work done.” But that’s not always the case. Some kids very much belong in that raised level of expectations setting, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not still teenagers who get absent-minded at times, or even unmotivated.
What really raised the stakes with this group was that the same thing happened in 8th grade. The clincher was that it even happened while we were all at home in quarantine.
I defy you to find me another teacher who will say that they had a class where everyone did all their work during online schooling. Every student attended each online session we had on Mondays, and they all also came to some extra sessions I had as they were working on projects, just to check in. That’s dedication!
But to still get all their work done? I cut back on some of the work, but they still had some big final projects that all my 8th graders do each year. And they all turned in the work. And they did this, knowing we wouldn’t see each other again that year for any rewards. The idea of getting everything done was now ingrained.
Add to all this the sheer joy every day of a group of kids who had fun while learning. We all learned a lot about each other and tried new things because of it. This was the first group with whom I tried my 20Time project, where we took every Friday for six weeks to just work on a passion project, something each person wanted to try to learn. I knew this group would take the idea seriously, and they produced some really cool projects. I’m not sure I would have tried that if not for the Class of 2024.
There are a lot of other really amazing kids in this year’s graduating class. Not all of them were in the Honors section, but they also have been motivated to do their best and keep getting better. I’m positive they will continue to do that in their chosen paths following graduation.
Wait, what about that asterisk in the title? Those of you who know baseball history know that when Roger Maris beat Babe Ruth’s home run record, there were more games in the regular season in which to attain a higher number. For many years, there was an asterisk next to Maris’ record since many didn’t think it counted. That has since been removed, though Maris has had his record broken.
So during basketball season when this year’s seniors were in 8th grade, Jayna’s team played at St. Peter. It just so happened that I ran into Joy Reese, a member of the former greatest class of all time. She was part of a group of 29 seniors who were really a fun group back in 1998. They, mostly, did their work and were a lot of fun. Nobody got in trouble and everyone passed their last English class.
I mentioned to Joy that the status of her class as the greatest ever was in danger. However, when I said it was an Honors group, she argued that it shouldn’t count since her class was a mixture of all levels of students.
That might have some merit. And maybe the Class of 1998 will argue an asterisk. But for now, the Class of 2024 has attained that title of greatest ever.
For now. Good luck to all the graduates as they mosey on out of here!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is gegg, which means to play a practical joke, as in, “The friends decided to gegg their classmate who was on a borderline of passing a class, but quickly realized it was in bad taste.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!