It has been a long and wonderful final day with the Scheiber Sandor kids. It’s 10:15pm and I am only getting to the blog now, so tonight’s will be short and sweet. But there were two things that really stuck out to me today that I felt compelled to share before I ended my day: one positive and one less so.
Something that has come up a few times this week, but in particular today, is how many of Hungary’s youth is determined to leave the country. Sadly, many of these students feel like their best option for a successful life is to make a home somewhere else. As it was pointed out today, if the Hungarian government does not make some significant changes, they will continue to lose the best and brightest of the country. It was bittersweet to watch these students so enthusiastic about their education in large part because it meant a way out.
Despite the fact that many of these students are already thinking of where they want to work and raise their families as early as 6th or 7th grade, they are still kids. And, as I said in an earlier post, kids are kids, no matter where you go. Every trope you see in an American school can be found here: the earnest kid, the social butterfly, the guy who is too cool for school, and the kid who just needs to make a connection. The breakthrough I made today was with this last kid. I had one group of 7th graders 5 separate periods within 2 days, so I got to know them pretty well. There was one student who was what teachers often euphemistically call “a handful.” She was loud and goofy. She talked to her friends instead of listening, and she spent an inordinate amount of time running from one end of the classroom to the other. I learned her name quickly because I had to ask her to stop talking so often. However, I figured out quickly that she was using this behavior to cover up insecurities, as is frequently the case with students like this. The minute I began to praise her, notice her for the positive, and encourage her, she because a different student. She suddenly worked extra hard, contributed to class discussions, and apologizing sincerely when she did talk out of turn. At the end of our time today, she gave me a hug and said that she would miss me. I’ll freely admit that I am bragging a bit. This was a moment that brought me so much joy, and I felt genuine pride at being able to make a difference in her life so quickly.
