Today was an unusual day. We had the first school-wide assembly of the year. We're going to have one every trimester. Given that the end of the trimester is rapidly approaching, we had the assembly today, since we didn't have much time left to have one.
We started off the assembly with a prayer. As always, we invoked Saint John Baptist de la Salle, the French priest who did so much to further education in France 300 years ago, and who founded the tradition of Catholic schools to which we belong. We implored him to pray for us, as we also did at the close of the assembly.
After the opening prayer, we had the students compete in several groups. We quizzed them, including about facts they had learned in Social Studies, Math and Science classes. They were excited to compete against each other.
But before we got to the contest, we teachers handed out awards to the youths we teach in our particular 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes. Students received certificates for excellence in Social Studies, Science, Math, Literature and Writing. Students had also voted to decide which of them was the most supportive of his or her fellow students, which pupil motivated others well, and which student was the most organized, in addition to which children have taken other positive approaches at school. We also recognized particular students for reading in class in a loud voice.
I was enjoying hearing students' names being called, and I was liking watching children walk up to receive their certificates. Partly I was feeling satisfaction in seeing these young scholars get these awards because I know that some of them have expressed that they wanted to be academically successful, but some of them have seemed to doubt that they could excel in their studies. After seeing them apply themselves to their work, I felt joyous over their achievement, their advancement, their betterment of themselves. As I saw students stride up to receive their awards, my eyes grew watery as I repeatedly felt happy for them.
Given that I was taking in the recognition of these students in this emotional context, I was primed to feel especially touched when one particular boy spontaneously shouted in excitement when his sister won an award. When her name was called, he proudly cried, "That's my sister!"
It was delightful to hear his unrestrained enthusiasm and show of affection and love for his sibling, partially since he was cheering her for her intelligence, her motivation, her application of herself and her academic accomplishments. I do indeed literally pray that I am contributing to such intellectual growth and development in these youths. I hope that I am helping these students to progress and learn. I hope that I can be partly responsible for causing children to extemporaneously call out in praise of their siblings. If I can, hearing such cheer will certainly serve as a reward.
We started off the assembly with a prayer. As always, we invoked Saint John Baptist de la Salle, the French priest who did so much to further education in France 300 years ago, and who founded the tradition of Catholic schools to which we belong. We implored him to pray for us, as we also did at the close of the assembly.
After the opening prayer, we had the students compete in several groups. We quizzed them, including about facts they had learned in Social Studies, Math and Science classes. They were excited to compete against each other.
But before we got to the contest, we teachers handed out awards to the youths we teach in our particular 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes. Students received certificates for excellence in Social Studies, Science, Math, Literature and Writing. Students had also voted to decide which of them was the most supportive of his or her fellow students, which pupil motivated others well, and which student was the most organized, in addition to which children have taken other positive approaches at school. We also recognized particular students for reading in class in a loud voice.
I was enjoying hearing students' names being called, and I was liking watching children walk up to receive their certificates. Partly I was feeling satisfaction in seeing these young scholars get these awards because I know that some of them have expressed that they wanted to be academically successful, but some of them have seemed to doubt that they could excel in their studies. After seeing them apply themselves to their work, I felt joyous over their achievement, their advancement, their betterment of themselves. As I saw students stride up to receive their awards, my eyes grew watery as I repeatedly felt happy for them.
Given that I was taking in the recognition of these students in this emotional context, I was primed to feel especially touched when one particular boy spontaneously shouted in excitement when his sister won an award. When her name was called, he proudly cried, "That's my sister!"
It was delightful to hear his unrestrained enthusiasm and show of affection and love for his sibling, partially since he was cheering her for her intelligence, her motivation, her application of herself and her academic accomplishments. I do indeed literally pray that I am contributing to such intellectual growth and development in these youths. I hope that I am helping these students to progress and learn. I hope that I can be partly responsible for causing children to extemporaneously call out in praise of their siblings. If I can, hearing such cheer will certainly serve as a reward.
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