All right, I don't, as a rule, use contemporary urban youth phrases in my day- to- day communication, but I bet you are wondering at my level of sanity, right? The title is part of an essay my son Anthony, as a first year English teacher, received as a class assignment. Preparing for my trip back to N.B. and the upcoming class reunion, launches flashbacks to my own high school days and how they sharply contrast with present high school students, and what remains constant.

 

 

 

When my oldest son Anthony began his career as a high school English teacher, I was only too eager to offer my assistance, in spite of my husband's request for me to let him discover the challenges of teaching on his own, but I think he basically phrased it as "leave him alone." Anyway, Anthony was happy to accept my offer to go over the mountains of essays and personal narratives the kids turned in, and correct them in terms of how many points for topic, word usage, voice, mechanics, organization, and then he would place the grade earned, thereby utilizing more of his time for planning lessons. As a teacher, students' expressions of themselves never cease to fascinate me.   I was so happy to be useful!

 

 

So, the assignment was to describe a memorable day in the students' life. Here follows excerpts from a narrative, I'll never forget:

 

 

"Me and my homies were chilling. My homegirl was hanging with her peeps and I was down with that." He then went on to describe how he went over to the local park and they had a pick up basketball game. I could picture those chillin' homies, dribble and pass and shoot and laugh and do it all over again. Michael Jordan in all his glory couldn't have had more joy and enthusiasm. Then I could picture the writer walking home as the sun is setting and have dinner and then playing by park lights until exhaustion. I wanted to hang with those peeps, wouldn't you?

 

But then I read it again as a teacher, and thought of my English teachers and how they would have written unacceptable or please do over. I had a pad to make notes for Anthony and jotted down the possible grade points. For voice, every possible point, for organization, dead on right, mechanics, or conventions, oh my Lord, how did this kid get to 9th grade? For word usage, vocabulary, oh my, I cry for our future. However, on balance, there was a beginning, middle and end. There was definitely imagery and voice. So, my position, which I hope Anthony adopts is to begin where the kid is and help him / her grow in terms of academics. I asked Anthony if he gave guidelines for the assignment and articulated that standard English be used.

 

 

The assignment was a learning experience for teacher and students.

 

Anthony hasn't asked me to help him grade since his second year and he will now be starting his ninth year as a teacher. He is now well ensconced in his career and, not that I'm bragging, of course, has become a source of inspiration to his own students. So, in the end how does this all relate to our nostalgia driven website? Basically, we are now the elders and the joy of students thankfully is the same. That as our teachers inspired us, we in turn have our chance to inspire and then the next generation will inspire and so it continues.