One hopes, as a teacher, to affect a child’s life in a positive way. What most teachers really want is to make a lasting impression and find out later that something they did or said guided a student’s life trajectory.
What I hadn’t expected was to have my life so changed by my students.
Within the last few years, thanks to grants that our district received, I had the opportunity to be a chaperone on two overnight college trips within New York State. The students were first generation immigrants and some English as a Second Language students. None of these kids had been to a college campus before. Some had never been out of the county.
The day before the first trip, I thought to myself am I an idiot? To be on an overnight trip with all of these teenagers? But I put on my big-girl pants and hoped that the worst that could happen was that I wouldn’t get a lot of sleep.
But the best that could happen blew my mind.
When I saw this sign I thought “Phew we made it.” The students, however, were astounded that the sign, the hotel, the city of Albany and SUNY Albany were welcoming them. They whooped. They cheered. They took a kazillion pictures, in the rain, in front of the sign. Individually. In groups. Friends. Selfies. Posing. Antics. I was amazed. Not one student on the trip had ever stayed in a hotel before.
As we checked in, the kids were taking a slew of pictures in the lobby. They were taking pictures of the sign on the front desk that showed the room rates.
All of our rooms were in the same corridor, so we got the students settled in. Then we looked around the hotel. As the students walked past a small ballroom, their eyes bugged. “Look, Miss…..can you imagine? Wow, if we could eat there…” And that was where we were scheduled for dinner. More pictures.
Seeing their delight was wonderful.
When the first student finished eating dinner, he walked up to me at the chaperones’ table with his dinner plate in hand and said “Where do I put this?” I replied that he should take it back to his seat and the waiter would come and take it. He just stared. And then said “You’re kidding me.”
For the first time, he was in a new city, a few hours from home, in a hotel, in a ballroom, that was in a restaurant where there were waiters.
We all went back to the rooms and most of the kids opened their doors and were running from room to room (actually quietly). One room was playing music and they were dancing. Other rooms had pizza. In another they were watching a movie. Again, I was astounded. And got ready for a night where I wouldn’t get much sleep as we started chaperone shifts. More pictures. Lots of phone calls home.
And I got texts from the kids.
- Can I go to the lobby and get something from the vending machines? (of course)
- Can we walk around the hotel to check it out again? (yes)
- Can we go outside? (absolutely not)
- How late can we stay up? (ummmm……)
And the next morning, as we were doing a final check to be sure nothing was left in the rooms, I saw that in about 4 rooms the students had made their beds.
Then on to the next college. The hotel had a bowling alley. THE HOTEL IN COBLESKILL, NY HAD A BOWLING ALLEY. 
No one had ever bowled. It was so much fun. Again, they took tons of pictures and posted them and called home.
They were not, however, ready for Mrs. Knowles. I had bowled before. A lot. STRIKE. My street cred went way up. #adultscandothings #enteringmyprime
The actual college visits were awesome. They were exposed to student life, laboratories, classrooms, libraries, dorm tours, sessions with admission counselors, dining halls (all you could eat….teenage boys were in alt), professors, sports, you name it. They visited state schools and private schools from New York City to rural Cobleskill, NY. Between the 2 trips, they visited 6 colleges, spent 3 nights at hotels and had experiences of a lifetime.
The week after the first trip, four students applied to SUNY Delhi. Other applications followed. Not all of the students ended up going to universities. But they all learned the process and will be able to help their own children make these decisions.
Don’t tell but I had some silly moments on the trip, as well.
These students changed my life forever.
saneteachers 
It’s amazing when your students can affect you as much as you them 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I LOVED reading this. We need more teachers like you in the world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. But it’s the students, not me. 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree that THEY are as much the teachers as anyone. Still…we need more teachers willing and able to receive and appreciate their lessons. You do it well and it’s inspiring. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike
What some take as the norm is a luxury to others. I’m sure they will remember the trip with fond memories with a great teacher 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a good point about norms. I know they will remember the trip forever. And I wasn’t the only teacher. But thank you very much 😃
LikeLike
Smiling through teary eyes. Congratulations on expanding the world for lots of kids during your career.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They have expanded my life. Thank you for your sweet comments.
LikeLike
beautiful, barb. isn’t it amazing how they end up teaching us more than we do them?
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s the truth!
LikeLike
Hey Barb this is a really nice post â can I use it for the ExcEL blog next month?
And if you could persuade one or two of the kids who went along on the trip to write a paragraph or two from their perspective itâd be even more powerful! Spanish or English would be fine, and pictures always add another dimension.
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course! I gave you some parameters in the email I sent. I have already spoken with one student who coincidentally visited today. He said “I want to write about the hotel, bowling and colleges.” lol
LikeLike
It was so much fun reading you! Loved the final picture! lol 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! And re: the final picture….ha! I appreciate the compliment 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was amazing. I think my favourite part was when you stepped up and bowled a strike!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Paul! Lol the strike was a great moment. They had no idea what they were doing and the other chaperone and I kept running around helping them. They had so much fun and we laughed a lot. Then one of the girls asked me if I ever had bowled. The rest is history.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought you would like my loitering unlawfully.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did! Very rebellious and a good role model!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s what I thought.
LikeLiked by 1 person
An excellent post! As noted above, every one of those kids, no matter what they do in life will always remember that trip. You have given something to them that will stay with them forever!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I can take no credit for the planning of the trip. I was asked to chaperone and said yes. Everything else just fell into place. The first trip was magical. I’m not being corny. It really was.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice illustration that we learn from students just as much as they from us, and so it shall always be! Nice share!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! And thank you for reading this and commenting 😃
LikeLike
I love this entry, just read it again for a second time–that would be wild not having anyone take your plate then having a waiter come and do everything for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it’s because for that student and many others, fast food is the norm. Or pizza places, lol. And it was such a lesson to me that this trip was just as important to pick up life skills and experiences as college prep experiences. And I picked up as many as did my students.
Wow, reading my post twice! That’s a wonderful compliment, thank you, Chris.
LikeLiked by 1 person
so true, it’s also amazing how programs and people like you who create, work, and support these can give students an experience like that which can change their lives! So awesome
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a beautiful story. I taught early childhood for several years. It’s likely the kids don’t remember me. At Christmas when I decorate my tree with the ornaments they made me, I pray they developed a good attitude toward learning. I also hope they had the opportunity to learn from caring teachers such as you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a lovely thing to say. If they don’t remember you (and they may), know that you gave them a wonderful basis with a desire to learn and be successful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s every teacher’s dream to manage to expand our students’ minds and lives. And it’s a such an enriching privilege to be given the chance to see the world through the eyes of people – in this case young people – with such different life experiences. Lovely post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. And I’m not looking at this through rose-colored glasses. Especially the first trip…..it was like magic for me. And hopefully for them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Certainly for them 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an amazing experience for those students.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They loved it. 💟
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t imagine how inspiring it must have been to see those students’ first exposure to thing like colleges, hotels, etc.! It is true that no matter how much influence you have on students as a teacher, they have just as much influence on you. And both are in such a good way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I so agree. It sounds silly or corny to say, but it was magical. However, not being a teenager, I slept for like 15 hours when we got back. I was TIRED!
LikeLike
These kids are amazing! And so wonderful they get to experience all that. Such a nice feeling to see the sparkles in their eyes! And congrats on your street creds, Barb! Woo hoodoo!! Just please drop the loitering. :p
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! My loitering secret is out! Thank you for your comments! Two great trips.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL. Loiterer….! ;p
LikeLiked by 1 person
I plead the 5th.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such an uplifting story! In so many ways. p.s. You had me at.. “What I hadn’t expected was to have my life so changed by my students.” Amen to that! Students are my reason too. 📚💚
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! One of the students on our trips who graduated last year came to visit me today. We were talking about the trips and he said what he loved the best were the friendships, the hotels, bowling and the colleges. He warmed my heart all over again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The best update! So often we are clueless to the impact we have on our students. We always wish we could do more. Then pow! We meet a student sometime later (like you did today) and find out how much our class meant to them. Keep shining bright! 🌟
LikeLiked by 1 person
😃
LikeLiked by 1 person