Pathways

Because I'm Human

My highlight of the week in the world of education was a small thing.

I hated high school as a kid. Really, really hated it. I was an anxious kid, shy and nervous as hell all of the time. I was pretty smart though. I got 'A's in most subjects, I didn't break a sweat over homework or assignments, but I did freak out about the notion that by year 11 I should be 'picking a pathway' that I wanted to pursue, you know, for the rest of my life. That's a hard job when your focus is all about getting through a single day unscathed in the mental headspace department. 

Maybe you're wondering 'Well, hey. Why would you choose to return and work in a high school if the place was so damn stressful?' Good question. It wasn't my 'pathway'. I dropped out of high school.......3 times. The last time I dropped out I was in an adult education institution and my Human Biology teacher spent some time chatting with me. Science didn't come as naturally to me as most subjects and he was both impressed with my drive and curious as to why I felt the need to get another A. His curiosity and general chit chat did help me find my way. I like learning - not at high school obviously, but I do like to fill up my head with stuff. Eventually I found my round-a-bout way to university. 3 degrees later and I'm pretty happy. 

So, school. 

The biggest lesson I have learnt in my life is that teenagers respond pretty well to people who listen to them. I have been told I'm pretty good at that. I work in education, not (just) because my first love is English and stories, but because if I can be the Human Biology teacher to a lost kid then maybe I can help them find their path - wherever that might lead. 

On Friday I received a phone call from a kid I had suspended earlier in the week. That was my highlight. That kid takes up an awful lot of my time and makes some horrendous choices. That kid comes across as cocky, arrogant, and kinda mean - but they still called to check in and make sure that the plan we had mapped out for their path would still be ok - because really that kid is just as anxious and nervous as I was. Reaching out and asking for help and reassurance was a new skill. To me, that's a bigger win than awarding an A.