The Influence of Student Testimony

While I very much want to explain the project requirements and what the semester will look like, today I want to interject with current news about the project, as the information is still fresh in my mind.

Yesterday and today, former students from my Honors Language Arts 10 class came to talk with my current students about their own projects from my class last year. I wanted my current group to hear from their peers about the experience because a student perspective is so much more valuable to young people than a teacher perspective.

Olivia, a junior, discussed her final project, which was a modified Socratic Seminar about abortion rights. She had put together a short Power Point presentation about how she decided on her research topic and final presentation delivery method. She also offered advice to the current researchers regarding their utilization of unstructured work time and on considering the implications of their chosen topic.

I remember the day last year that she conducted the Socratic Seminar. She did a notable job of arranging students in a physical circle in the Commons. She gave clear instructions about her expectations for the discussion and laid out some very specific ground rules for the conversation, which she knew would be needed for such a controversial topic. I was impressed with her demeanor and ability to manage the class as they tackled talking points that elevated emotions among her classmates.

What I didn’t see or even know about until Olivia presented to my current students were the repercussions of her presentation on her classmates. I appreciated that Olivia took the time to talk to the sophomores about what had happened after her class had participated in her Socratic Seminar. Tensions had arisen among a friend group in that class, as opinions on the topic had been expressed for the first time. A small pro-life faction and a small pro-choice faction had formed, and some of the debating outside of class had gotten ugly. I had warned Olivia about such a possibility, and she had accepted the challenge in stride—more so than I had known at the time!

She told my students to be prepared to meet backlash if they chose a hot-button topic. It was so good for them to hear a student talk about being brave. I was sure to point out to my students how much growth I have seen in Olivia since the beginning of her project, when she was terrified to speak in front of people. Here she was, talking as confidently as a teacher to a group of kids she didn’t know, giving them advice and demonstrating such poise! It was one of those amazing teacher moments that help me remember why I do what I do.

Kyle came to my 2^nd hour class today. I am disappointed that he will not be able to present to my 6^th hour. He wrote a book for his final project that he then self-published through Amazon! He talked to my students about the importance of letting go of control and embracing uncertainty during the research process. He also stressed that the research topic options were limitless and encouraged them to take on something they were passionate about. For some reason, he also brought a betta fish in a jar that he passed around. The kids loved it, and he had definitely grabbed their attention.

I remember Kyle’s process more than I remember his final presentation of a chapter of the book. This is likely because I worked more closely with Kyle to find sources than I did with most of the other students. Kyle had begun writing his book in the 8^th grade and decided to utilize the work time for the research project to complete it. Some kids started the project wanting to know more about a particular topic but unsure of how to present at the end; others knew what they wanted to create and had to find sources to help them understand how to create it. Kyle was in the latter category, so I helped him find a novel to read—Stephen King’s On Writing—and I connected him with a local New York Times bestselling graphic novel author for his required interview.

When Kyle handed me a signed copy of his novel (complete with beautiful handwritten notes on the first and last pages of the book), I wept. I am admittedly an extra emotionally-sensitive person, but I think I would have lost it even if I weren’t. My student WROTE AND PUBLISHED A BOOK! Another one of those this-is-why-I’m-a-teacher moments.

My goal is for this project to be a meaningful experience for all my students. It was so valuable to have two former students share how they found meaning through the process in its first iteration. I am SO excited for students to begin!