Graduation...
On Sunday, I attended the coolest graduation commencement ceremony ever. I watched 50 of the most talented, diverse, and creative seniors walk across the stage and proudly accept their diplomas. We laughed in amazement as Rachel and Joni sang their graduation speech to the tunes of four popular songs that defined their four years of school. We wiped tears from our eyes as Sarah gave her emotional, heartfelt reflection, and we celebrated the accomplishments of Jyothi as she once again amazed us with her ability to string together words like poetry. For one final time, we were entertained by Jody and Andrew Stone's back-and-forth banter, and clapped along to the choir's performance of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water.' And finally, we celebrated the class of 2011 by dancing along to a choreographed version of 'Be True to Your School.' It was an unforgettable ceremony from an unforgettable class.
The Class of 2011 was my first class. Three years ago, I walked into a class of 52 sophomores, sophomores who would teach me more in that year of American Literature than I could have ever taught them. As their teacher and class advisor, I would follow them throughout the next three years of their lives and watch them succeed, make mistakes, and grow into pretty amazing young people.
And last Wednesday, I had the honor of standing in front of them at their Senior Class Luncheon on their very last day of school. I spent weeks mentally preparing for this speech, scouring their writing I kept, outlining their accomplishments, and reflecting on their futures. In the past, I've written twenty-page research papers, presentations for groups of seasoned teachers, and one, fifty page Masters' paper, but I've never stewed over a task like this. It was a daunting task, but one of the most rewarding experiences I've had as a teacher. 
