Reflecting on Reflections
Recently I have been reading personal essays written by our 6th graders. Many of them — no, all of them — express the author’s genuine desire to learn something powerful about themselves by way of an important experience. Some of these writings are sad, but none are depressing — even confrontations with death are experiences our students are able to make sense of, and change into a lesson important to learn about life.
We have too little time, it seems, to slow down and reflect on those things that cause us pause in our lives. But our students clearly took the time to think deeply, to ponder seriously, and to articulate beautifully. I am very proud of each of them.
Without a chance to stare at the clouds, to muse over a silly joke, to take a walk in the neighborhood, to kick a rock up and down the street, to swing in a friend’s tire-swing, or to simply lie in the grass and wonder about the universe — without such moments we lose the poetry that our lives should be.
Our students’ writing has given me a chance to consider just how deep their own spirituality runs — they write about death, or loss, or pain. And they learn just how connected they truly are despite the disconnections that occur to all of us at some time.
As much as I love my cats, and as much as it looks on the surface as though they are reflecting on my actions — I have a suspicion that they are not really conscious of the things that compose a meaningful human existence. Our 6th graders’ writing, on the other hand, keeps me closely connected to the spirit that all humanity shares. And I am grateful for the chance to reflect on that valuable lesson.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
[...] sixth graders have finished their personal essays and Stephen Kennedy’s post, “Reflections on Reflections,” honors their diligent work. In writer’s workshop, we have (finally!) moved on to our study of [...]