When we first got to Hotchkiss, an older teacher warned us to "Get out of dodge (Dodge?) during reunion weekend." That teacher let us know that the five and ten-year classes often behaved in ridiculous ways, the dorm would be loud all night, and mayhem would ensue. Why would we stick around, we wondered, since we wouldn't know anybody coming back.
Well, we're old now. I just completed my twentieth year teaching here and my husband his twenty-second year. Now, we do know the people coming back. And we love hearing about what's going on with them.
Let me give you a rundown of the weekend I just had. On Friday night, I went out to the School's farm. (If you haven't ever been near Lakeville, CT, you can check out the farm by looking at these images. If you've been here, you already know what I'm talking about. It's stunning.) The Alumni Office had set up tables with delicious foods (Mexican street corn, a baked potato bar, fajitas, berry short cakes) and drinks. I ended up talking with a kid (I know, he's in his thirties now, but he'll always be a kid to me!) who graduated fifteen years ago. When He was here and shorter than I am, I coached him in water polo. Now, he's working construction in Houston and has a wife and two children. They grow up.
On Saturday morning, I taught a sample class for a Back to School program. While not a ton of people showed up to learn about close reading, the dozen who came played along, reading the Katherine Brush short story carefully and willingly discussing how Brush achieves certain effects. (You can see the photo I took of them as part of the collage.)
Then I attended the lunch picnic. One of my former students now teaches AP English Literature and Composition. I didn't make her a lover of words, but at least her semester with me didn't turn her off of ever wanting to read again. I'll count that as a success.
After lunch, one of my former students came down to hang out and give Tuukka some loving. When she was here, he was a pup. Now he weighs significantly more than she does. (There's a photo of her in the collage, too.)
I didn't go to the big tent event on Saturday night, as I don't like not being able to hear what people are saying. Plus, as a non-drinker (of alcohol, don't worry, I'm not perpetually dehydrated), I don't really like hanging out with people who're getting drunk.
Then, this morning I got to eat brunch with one of my birthday buddies, another former student and current Penn Teaching Fellow (at another school, not here). She's doing some great work and thinking about how best to help her students think actively about what they're studying. (There's a photo of us in the collage, too.) Again, it's so much fun to see how the people I get to know as great kids turn into even better adults.
Do you ever get to see people after many years away? How does that go for you? Feel free to leave a comment.