Everyone Has a Story

What’s on your mind? Obesity, boxing, computers, and cars? One of the funny things about Senior Project, and the fact that it is student-driven, is that you get a good picture of what’s on the minds of your students.

This year it seems as if our students are really concerned about freedom and their health and well-being. We have lots of topics on various ways to reduce stress (I guess it’s no surprise since the seniors are completing the project in the semester they are supposed to graduate—major stress for them), lots of projects involving nutrition and physical fitness (maybe they are scared of the “Freshman 15”?), lots of projects involving computers (might be getting ready for college or tech school), and lots of projects involving cars (that one is self-explanatory: freedom).

One of my favorite “by products” of Senior Project is the telling insight project choice gives me into the students’ lives. One student might study “Shaken Baby Syndrome” because her niece suffers from the effects. Another studies holistic medicine because it helped a friend of hers overcome a major illness. Another studies “green building” because he comes from Africa and is interested in the similarities between ecobuilding and the building techniques in his village. It’s kind of like that CBS Sunday Morning segment “Everyone has a Story.” Senior Project is a really cool way to figure out the story that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to extract in your studies of Macbeth and Beowulf. What a great opportunity for us to get to know our kids.

My Own Blog....

Wow. My own blog. Who’d have thought eight years ago when I shut my door and began practicing Senior Project in my classroom (on my own) that I’d be writing anything that might seem helpful to anyone. Notice I said “practicing” Senior Project?

I like to think of the whole Senior Project experience as a yoga session. There’s the meditating and invoking at the beginning to gather up strength and enthusiasm (you may chant at this point), the vigorous practice in the middle which really gets your heart rate up (this is the point at which, even though you appear to be a great and powerful warrior, you are sure you will pass out at any moment and never, ever do this again), and then the lying flat on the floor in the dead man’s pose at the end, thanking whomever that it’s over. After a little breathing, a Namaste, and a sip of water you feel reinvigorated by the practice and ready to do it all over again. Right?

Senior Project, like yoga, is all about practice and mindfulness. Wherever you are at the time is the place you are. That sounds silly, but as long as I keep in mind that a successful yoga practice doesn’t mean that I’ll be ready for Circ de Soleil in two weeks, I am happy with whatever I can achieve as long as I’ve been mindful and stretched myself to my personal limits. Wherever you are in your Senior Project practice is where you are. Your practice can’t be just like anyone else’s because your body (as in “student”) is not the same as the next guy’s.

Be mindful. Stretch yourself and your students. Be flexible. Always remember to breathe. Speaking of which, have you guys got a huge influx of yoga projects at your school? Sheesh. Let’s talk topics and topic selection next time. Namaste.