Last week we got loud. There were hoots, hollers, stomps, claps, and some standing ovations. There were chants of names, and there were proud parents, squirmy brothers and sisters, tiny babies and grandmas too. We were in celebration mode.
But, we also got quiet. Very quiet. There were tears, some sobs, and hugs. We held each other up when the reality of being a teenager came crashing down around us. It was both amazing and terrifying. Some students had never been in the presence of such unadulterated emotion.
It was my privilege to be the teacher. It was my honor to be the one who gave the pep talks. It was humbling to know that these kiddos took these risks for me, for us, for our class. We are a community, and it showed.