The Magic

“Before meeting you, I let PowerPoints and textbooks do my thinking for me.”

—HSHS student at the Top 25 Banquet, 2015

Last Sunday I attended the Hamilton Southeastern High School Top 25 Banquet.  The honored guests are a pretty incredible group of students.  Some would say they are our “best and brightest,” and that is a good descriptor.  I would argue, however, that they are also among our hardest working students. 

They seem to buy in to the Growth Mindset philosophy.  Certainly, they have some natural gifts, but this group of students has worked incredibly hard to develop their skills and knowledge, and they have taken full advantage of the multiple opportunities afforded them at HSHS.  At the banquet, Nancy introduces each student by telling a bit about their extra- and co-curricular activities and accomplishments.  The lists for these students are so lengthy, that I sometimes wondered how they found time to breathe—but that is a topic for a different missive.

When the students come forward to receive their award, each one brings with him or her a teacher to honor as well.  The teachers receive a plaque which is engraved with a short essay written to them by the student, which is then read. These essays are always fascinating.  Most of the students thank their teachers for the positive influence they have provided, some tell inside jokes, but many of the students make statements that are nothing short of profound.  I offer as evidence the quote that started this memo.  It came in the first student speech of the night.

Take a moment to read it again:  

This is the goal we have for all of our students:
To be independent thinkers.

I was so taken with this line that I jotted it down on my program, and that got me started.  I kept finding others as the evening progressed.  I ended with the following list.  Remember these are statements made by our Top 25 about teachers who have been significant in their lives:

• “You taught me more than just academics.”
• “You taught me that learning is a journey.”
• “You taught me skills that transcend content.”
• “You make me believe that I can overcome all obstacles.”
• “You have taught me how to be curious.”
• “Thank you for making me laugh—and laugh at myself.   Thank you for teaching me so much more than English.”
• “In your class, I was always learning joyfully.”
• “The lessons you have taught me in both English and in life will last well beyond high school.”
• “You balance self-learning and instruction.”

It is worth noting that for these students content is important, but what set the teacher apart is not content.  It is the intangibles—laughter, support, curiosity, and life skills.  These are things that transfer outside of the school building.

Check it for yourself.  Who is your most memorable and influential teacher?  My guess is that the teacher who first comes to mind had depth of knowledge and was passionate about the content.  More importantly, however, I would guess this teacher taught lessons that transferred in many ways beyond the classroom walls.  As we have often said at HSE, rock solid teaching is about more than content knowledge.

I’ll end with one of my favorite student lines from last Sunday: “Thanks for the magic.”  Make it happen this week, HSE.

Phil