Traditions and Dream Seeds
Not every tradition deserves to live forever, but I find myself taking comfort in the traditions I keep in my classroom teaching and personal life. The continuity serves as a reminder that as many things change, many things also remain the same.
Tradition means taking account of a wonderful history but remembering that everybody today looks to the future. -Michael Kadoorie
Senior Celebration
Today was Senior Celebration. It's where we honor the seniors that were once Muskies. That's our school mascot. The soon-to-be graduates escape high school for the morning and arrive at a gymnasium filled with students, parents, and teachers.
One by one they are introduced, as a slide containing their baby photo, 8th-grade class photo, and senior photo flashes on the screen behind them. They each receive a t-shirt. Some of the shirts have their future college logos or some other imagery connected to their next steps in life.
This tradition has been alive for at least seven or eight years. The seniors walk around their former elementary school and talk with former teachers. It's a joy to see how they've developed into adults with dreams. This also provides a yearly reminder that a person can change a great deal over the course of four years.
Traditions are grounding. Traditions can plant a dream seed.
Not every tradition deserves to live forever, but I find myself taking comfort in the traditions I keep in my classroom teaching and personal life. The continuity serves as a reminder that as many things change, many things also remain the same.
