It’s difficult to maintain a blog
following when you let four months go by without posting. Of course, there’s
got to be a reason – in this case, it’s the fact that I was fulfilling 300
hours of internship work in earning my principal’s certification. With those
hours piled on top of a teaching schedule and three extracurricular adviser
positions, blog writing wasn’t the only thing that suffered this year (just ask
my wife and daughters).
The college classes I took were
interesting, and I definitely learned a lot about everything from data to
curriculum to budgeting. It was valuable work, for sure. But to be honest, I
can’t say it was the best leadership training I had this year. They can throw
all the textbooks and internship hours they want at you, but none of it
compares to the leadership tips you learn from your very own students.
I was the sole adviser of a
student-run school newspaper this year, and the staff of 16 students grappled
with several major stories during their year as they shepherded their
uncensored, student-run paper. From a change in principals to two student
deaths, the stories within our school were incredibly challenging. On top of
that, we had the election and all it brought in terms of dialogue and anxiety.
Throw in a couple of investigative stories about substance abuse and some
peculiar toilet paper vandalism, and we truly had our hands full.
But whenever it seemed as though the
stories were too much for teenagers to handle, they buckled down and found a
way. They scheduled interviews and asked tough questions. They talked with
students and quoted them about sensitive topics in respectful ways. They paid
tribute to their departed peers with grace and beauty. They covered the
election by interviewing students and adults from throughout the school, town
and country. They wrote opinion pieces that pulled no punches.
In other words, they rose to the
occasion, and didn’t complain about it. They showed up for class and for
after-school workdays, and they put in the time. They didn’t take weeks off,
and in the end published 28 editions of their paper, winning several awards
along the way. When they had questions, I gave them advice, but they made the
decisions. When an upcoming snow day kept us at school until after 8 p.m., I
ordered the pizza and told them they were awesome.
So last week, I met with these students
for our last full class together. I made them smoothies, and gave them each a
journal. We’ve been through too much to say goodbye. I wished them good luck on
finals, and they walked out with tears in their eyes.
Great journalism doesn’t command
accolades; it just takes care of business, one step at a time. It gathers,
reports, edits and spreads the news. It documents, informs and engages. It never
holds back, and it always takes every ounce of effort from the reporters and
editors who dive into it. Those who do this work, be it for a class or a
living, are never the same afterward. They see the world with different eyes,
and they know how much they can learn about this crazy world, if only they look
hard enough.
We love you Mr. Hynes.
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