Kobe

Legendary people like Kobe seem immortal. It seems like they are above normal things like dying in accidents. They are larger than life and could not be affected by things that affect 'normal' people. It was a complete shock to me when I heard the news that Kobe died on Sunday in a helicopter crash. I am still having a difficult time processing this.  I was never a huge Kobe fan. I appreciated his work ethic, his competitive spirit but never considered him my 'favorite player.' Yet for some reason, I just can't stop thinking about the fact that Kobe Bryant is dead.  Perhaps this is why... Gigi, Kobe's daughter that died with him in the crash, was 13 years old. Her basketball number was 2. My daughter Isabel is 14 and her basketball number is 2. Kobe has an older daughter who plays volleyball. Her number is 8. I have an older daughter who plays volleyball and her number is 8. Furthermore, Kobe and his daughter Gigi were on their way to a weekend basketball tournament. Something Isabel and I have done countless times. I think this is why it hits home so much is because they were doing something that so many of us 'mere mortals' have done as well....traveling to a weekend basketball tournament.  I can't stop thinking about Kobe and his daughter in the moments before the helicopter crashed and what was going through their minds. I picture Kobe hugging Gigi tight, as the helicopter spun out of control, knowing the inevitable was about to happen.  It gets me every time when I think about it - Kobe embracing his daughter, unable to protect her and keep her safe in their last moments.
When a tragedy like this happens, it is always the same: a whole bunch of cliches are thrown out there, an outpouring of support/love. People sharing their memories. The things is...all those cliches are true. Yet, we forget about them because we get wrapped up in life and the hustle and bustle of always being busy. We focus so much on things that don't matter, so it takes a tremendously sad tragedy like this to remind us to slow down, take a moment, look up from the screen and appreciate what you have.  How grand would it have been for Kobe to have been able to hear how important he was and how loved he was when he was still alive? Don't wait for a person to die to share how much they mean to you.
Life is fragile. Life goes by so quick. Life can end in an instant. Yes, all cliches, yet all most definitely true.

Off to Kindergarten and Beyond...

Hazel's School Picture - Kindergarten

On Hazel's first day of kindergarten, she literally ran to the building. I had to call to her to wait for me because I wanted to be with her as she walked into the school and took that first step in her public school journey. She yelled back at me to hurry up and that we were going to be late. I assured her, as I jogged to catch up, that we had plenty of time, that we were early. I wanted to tell her to slow down, don't rush, time goes by fast enough without us trying to make it go faster. She was beaming. She was excited. She couldn't wait to get to school.  Wouldn't it be nice if kids continued to have that exact same level of enthusiasm and excitement as they made their way through their K12 experience? Hazel wasn't alone in her excitement. We saw many other kindergarten-aged kids running to the school, smiles spread wide across their faces, urging their parents to hurry up.  However, the 4th graders were not running. Head over to the middle school and you would not see students running to the building. You would not see high schoolers running to the building. Perhaps it is unfair to think middle school and high school-aged kids would actually run to the building - that that's the only way to show excitement. Perhaps being older makes it so running isn't an option, no matter how excited they are for school. But something happens to students along the K12 adventure - the older they get, the less excited for school they become. This is a very general statement as there are certainly students who are excited for school all the way through high school, but a truth, nonetheless. Why do students lose that excitement for school that compels them to "run" to the building? When does this happen? First grade? Fifth? Middle school? It undoubtedly happens at different times depending on the student, but in my experience, I have seen the gradual decline all too often.  So why? The answers vary - stress, drama, pressure, homework, worksheets, bullying, etc. - much we, as teachers, can not control. However, we can certainly control what happens to those students during our time with them each day - we can certainly do our part to keep that excitement for learning alive, to not let it die out shortly after kindergarten. So how is this done? How do we keep the excitement for school alive, even as the students get older? Good question with an easy answer - but an answer that is hard to execute because it takes tremendous effort, consistency and an unflinching commitment to the student.  Keep the excitement and love of learning alive in your students by engaging them with meaningful activities - simulations, hands-on, relevancy, thought-provoking, real-world, authentic. Keep the excitement and love of learning alive in your students by showing them that you care about them as a person, not just a statistic on the standardized test report - that you are there for them. Keep that excitement alive by showing kindness, building trust, reaching out to them. You don't need a fancy handshake or a nickname for each student - you just need to genuinely care for students and show kindness. Far too often, students hit a snag in their journey in which they cross paths with someone who is not willing to put in the work to get to know them and build a relationship with them. Don't be that teacher. Don't be the one teacher that causes the students to check out from the school experience. Don't be the reason why kids stop running to school.