i've become friends with some of my students-- and it's nice. i feel honored that they think i'm hip enough to want to hang out with me; that i'm not some fusty old english professor. i saw a few of my students in a cafe on my walk back from town today and stopped in to say hi. they insisted i sit with them a spell until class began and only spoke in english to me, which was nice.
one of the girls i've befriended is someone who most of the teachers and students do not like. they say she's disruptive and annoying. i can totally see that. before i had her in my small groups i'd seen her be a total annoying butthead in class. but what i see more than that is an interesting person who's bored with school and rules and regulations. she told me the school sent her mother a letter complaining about her behavior. she told her mother she's not going to change her personality to fit some mould of school. how rebellious! i had to chuckle because i remember thinking the very same thing in high school. i told her, hey, fake it, you're finished in 4 months, and after that, who cares? you'll never see any of these people again. she mostly agreed then invited me to a concert for her band next week.
another cool thing about befriending the students is i get some inside track on what they really think of professors. it's funny-- i can absolutely relate to these kids-- grownups suck! high school blows! yeah! but i also know most of these teachers are really, really cool and just doing their job. you can't please everyone.
i feel like i'm on that bridge between adolesence (sp) and adulthood-- it doesn't seem that long ago that i was 17, and i still know all the bands these kids listen to, and how much school sucks... but i am glad to be the age i am. stupid, little high school things just aren't as important anymore. thank god.