Why I'll never go back to junior high
Thank you to everyone who voted for SPENT in the All Authors best cover contest. The book did not pass to the final round, but it was fun playing against hundreds of other covers.
This past Friday, I presented three hour-long workshops about journalism and writing to students in junior high, as part of the school’s annual wellness conference. Students had 40 topics from which to choose and it was impressive list. Among them: managing anxiety, crafts, filmmaking, creative writing, resume writing, volunteering, ju-jitsu, bowling, understanding money, and even an escape room. I would have been thrilled to have access to something like this when I was in junior high. The best I ever had was a high school career assessment issued by the guidance counsellor. I scored high in social sciences, with recommendations for a career as a researcher or an analyst. In 1986, I can promise you there was nothing less appealing to me than those two paths.
I was very excited about the day, despite a harrowing drive where I passed by 11 cars that had just spun out into the ditches in a 300 metre span of highway. The snow was blowing, the roads were icy, and I was crawling along at 10km in a 100km per hour zone. I left plenty of time to get there, so I wasn’t concerned about being late. I was so frazzled by the time I got to the school I needed a moment in my car to collect myself. It was my first time standing in front of students in grades 7-9 and I needed a moment to breathe.
By the time my first session started, my energy was restored. I had built an engaging presentation that invited a lot of participation. Nothing too complex. Questions that felt like playing a game. I had a small group; five out of nine kids showed up. The teacher asked questions, and encouraged the students to do the same. I felt great after that first hour.
Session two did not go as well. Out of the six students, two were immensely disruptive, starting loud conversations that were unrelated to what I was talking about. The teacher was reading a magazine, and I was left to flounder on my own. I talked over them until they quieted, then focussed my attention on the students who were eager to learn about journalism as a career path.
Session three was worse. A session across the hall from the classroom I was in had been cancelled, so the students were shuffled into my presentation. The giggled and whispered throughout the whole session. One student yawned loudly before sprawling over a desk to take a nap. I looked to the teacher at the back of the room for help, but she was engaged with her phone.
By the time I got home, I felt like I had been swimming upstream. I had no energy to do anything other than flop on the couch and scroll reels. I knew I would never volunteer for something like this again. I was frustrated and felt bad for the kids who really did want to be there. One 13-year-old student asked so many interesting questions (including “If you could start your career all over again, what would you do differently?) and I held onto that. Maybe I made a difference for one kid.
Still, I learned an important lesson that day: You have to do things once so you never have to do them again.
xo Dana
What I’m reading
I needed something light and fun to read this weekend. I picked up Abby Jimenez’s Yours Truly because so many people love her contemporary romance. I didn’t realize this was book 2 in a series, but because Yours Truly gives a secondary character from book 1 her own story, I don’t need to read the first book. I am not a big fan of romance, but I have laughed out loud a few times. Dialogue is masterfully done. I will say this - when I anticipated the story moving in a certain direction, Jiminez threw a curveball, and I was impressed.