Students
As I sit here, grading, into the wee hours of the morning, I am once again astounded by several of my students. My intro classes, populated almost exclusively with freshmen, turned out to be the most enjoyable, and showed the most progress, dedication, and bursts of creativity.
First, there was Kyle, the kid I mentally dubbed "young Bob Dylan," given his personal aesthetic. Turns out I was spot on in that assessment, as he is a huge Dylan fan, and even performed a Dylan interview for his bio piece. He had a hard time adjusting to college, nearly dropped out, then came through with flying colors at the end.
At the other end of the spectrum was Chris, a non-traditional student who was probably more prepared than I was the first few classes. He had a wonderful performing voice and excellent facial expressions, and the kind of insight that only age can provide. He suggested pieces to younger students (including Kyle) and was always able to find pieces that pushed the others to the edges of their comfort zones, without being too weird or creepy. His hands shook so badly that, if reading a piece, he often had to put it down or he couldn't follow the words on the page. When he tried to memorize, he nearly had a panic attack. By the end, he learned to simply clasp his hands behind his back and place notecards on a lectern, coming to them when he needed them. His final performance was wonderful.
Then there were several girls who began the class with performances so dismal I actually felt sorry for them. They shook with fear, were almost impossible to hear, and would not make eye contact with anyone. By the end, they were performing beautifully, with hardly a twinge of nervousness visible to the untrained eye.
But the biggest success story was Brennan, a young man who missed probably a third of all the classes. He is in treatment for leukemia. But he made up every single performance, and always had a wonderful attitude, even when chemo had made him nauseous and weak. His final performance was a personal bio, about his struggle with cancer, his treatments, and the "B" Strong bracelets his friends had created for their Relay for Life team. When he finished, he offered bracelets to the class; obviously, I have one.
I've never been more impressed with an 18 year old, and I think it will be a long time before I'm this impressed again.
First, there was Kyle, the kid I mentally dubbed "young Bob Dylan," given his personal aesthetic. Turns out I was spot on in that assessment, as he is a huge Dylan fan, and even performed a Dylan interview for his bio piece. He had a hard time adjusting to college, nearly dropped out, then came through with flying colors at the end.
At the other end of the spectrum was Chris, a non-traditional student who was probably more prepared than I was the first few classes. He had a wonderful performing voice and excellent facial expressions, and the kind of insight that only age can provide. He suggested pieces to younger students (including Kyle) and was always able to find pieces that pushed the others to the edges of their comfort zones, without being too weird or creepy. His hands shook so badly that, if reading a piece, he often had to put it down or he couldn't follow the words on the page. When he tried to memorize, he nearly had a panic attack. By the end, he learned to simply clasp his hands behind his back and place notecards on a lectern, coming to them when he needed them. His final performance was wonderful.
Then there were several girls who began the class with performances so dismal I actually felt sorry for them. They shook with fear, were almost impossible to hear, and would not make eye contact with anyone. By the end, they were performing beautifully, with hardly a twinge of nervousness visible to the untrained eye.
But the biggest success story was Brennan, a young man who missed probably a third of all the classes. He is in treatment for leukemia. But he made up every single performance, and always had a wonderful attitude, even when chemo had made him nauseous and weak. His final performance was a personal bio, about his struggle with cancer, his treatments, and the "B" Strong bracelets his friends had created for their Relay for Life team. When he finished, he offered bracelets to the class; obviously, I have one.
I've never been more impressed with an 18 year old, and I think it will be a long time before I'm this impressed again.