I really enjoyed teaching high school seniors. 18 is such a great age. Yes, they still do the eye-rolling they all mastered when they were 12 but it is now done with more humor. At 18 they have "been there-done that" as far as the high-school scene is concerned and can focus on those areas that interest them most - they are less scattered than the freshmen I also taught. Although, on the surface, they appear to know what they want to do in their near future, you only have to scratch a bit to find that many feel vulnerable as they worry about where they might fit best. There are a lot of decisions they have to make - both exciting and a bit scary. It is this mixture of attitude and angst that interested me. There is just so much to talk about with seniors.
Then add the course I taught - a one semester macro/micro economic overview. I loved teaching Econ. It is so easy to make it relevant to 18 years olds. When things got a bit slow all I had to do was pull out articles that described interesting jobs (leech farmer, fire jumper, person who cleans up scenes-of-crimes, etc) and you had them. Would they do it? Why or why not? The same with analyzing the potential future of new products. I remember bringing in a sample - it was little disks of pressed baking-soda that you toss into a toilet for boy toddlers to aim at when potty-training - and the ensuing discussion that ended with one senior grabbing the sample and marching off to the boys' bathroom to give it a try. He reported back that it was great fun. How could you not enjoy teaching classes like that?
And then there was the Corporation Project where each class formed a company, elected directors, made products (food) and sold them on campus over two days. It was creative (oh the clever ads and T-shirts they produced), analytic (as they figured out supply and demand and dealt with the realities of their classmates as labor force), completely exhausting (for both me and them) and what a mess it made of my classroom. However, there was no question that it brought home key economic concepts, united them as no other project that I taught did and, what most surprised me, is how very very hard they worked for such low profita. Each $5 they invested usually only returned about $9 but that didn't matter when it came to bragging rights over who won.
The state of California requires one semester of Economics for graduation and, for many years, I was the only one who taught it. That meant I taught them all - every kid in the school crossed through my doors at one point or another in their time at Carmel High School. That included my own two children.
My daughter Stephanie graduated in 1993 and I was one of her class's Advisors. That meant that, 20 years later, I was also invited to her class reunion. It was held last week (the day after Thanksgiving) at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley and what fun I had. One of my favorite moments was buying drinks for my daughter (hmmm, she didn't bring her money - do some things never change?). I mean buying liquor for a student at a high school event? Really? Okay, it wasn't school sponsored, it wasn't at Carmel High and she is over 21 but I still smiled when I went over to buy our drinks.
About half of her classmates attended which is darn good when they are scattered all over the country and globe. Some flew in and some were already here celebrating Thanksgiving with families. And they all looked so wonderful. Some were immediately recognizable - it seemed like they didn't change at all. Others I could figure out if I had a chance to look at them a bit before I went over to chat and then there were the handful where I really had to search to find the 18-year olds hidden in their 38-year old faces - but a glimmer was always there.
They were doctors and scientists and professors and artists and teachers and social workers and politicians and PR/HR/IT folks - and I have forgotten how many more. They were single and married, gay and straight, parents or not. Many had photos and I loved seeing them all. They seemed so very adult one minute and then I would spot a giggling group and it was as if they were right back in my class, trying to pass notes across the room. Certainly 20 years could not have passed.
What surprised me is how many were still in their first marriage. I know they are members of Generation X and I greatly admire this generation - the generation that brought balance back into the workplace. The generation that is not willing to put up with all the demands we Baby Boomers accepted as we fought for recognition among our HUGE class of workplace peers. This generation insists that time with family and friends is just as important (if not more so) as time at work. At this point their divorce rate is lower than that of their Boomer parents and this class seems to represent it well.
Bernardus Lodge was lovely. The dinner was delicious. I was in the exact same room maybe 15 years ago for the wedding of one of Stephanie's classmates. Both her classmate and her husband were at the reunion - and both seemed as happy as they were on their wedding day.
And so 20 years have passed. I loved watching them interact, hearing their stories, catching-up. I wish I had talked with all of them but there just wasn't time. And I really hope that I (and Jeff Wright, my co-Advisor) get invited to their future reunions!
Congratulations Kimbley (future mayor of Salinas, I am sure) and Tessa and all the others who worked so hard. It was a great party.
Then add the course I taught - a one semester macro/micro economic overview. I loved teaching Econ. It is so easy to make it relevant to 18 years olds. When things got a bit slow all I had to do was pull out articles that described interesting jobs (leech farmer, fire jumper, person who cleans up scenes-of-crimes, etc) and you had them. Would they do it? Why or why not? The same with analyzing the potential future of new products. I remember bringing in a sample - it was little disks of pressed baking-soda that you toss into a toilet for boy toddlers to aim at when potty-training - and the ensuing discussion that ended with one senior grabbing the sample and marching off to the boys' bathroom to give it a try. He reported back that it was great fun. How could you not enjoy teaching classes like that?
And then there was the Corporation Project where each class formed a company, elected directors, made products (food) and sold them on campus over two days. It was creative (oh the clever ads and T-shirts they produced), analytic (as they figured out supply and demand and dealt with the realities of their classmates as labor force), completely exhausting (for both me and them) and what a mess it made of my classroom. However, there was no question that it brought home key economic concepts, united them as no other project that I taught did and, what most surprised me, is how very very hard they worked for such low profita. Each $5 they invested usually only returned about $9 but that didn't matter when it came to bragging rights over who won.
The state of California requires one semester of Economics for graduation and, for many years, I was the only one who taught it. That meant I taught them all - every kid in the school crossed through my doors at one point or another in their time at Carmel High School. That included my own two children.
My daughter Stephanie graduated in 1993 and I was one of her class's Advisors. That meant that, 20 years later, I was also invited to her class reunion. It was held last week (the day after Thanksgiving) at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley and what fun I had. One of my favorite moments was buying drinks for my daughter (hmmm, she didn't bring her money - do some things never change?). I mean buying liquor for a student at a high school event? Really? Okay, it wasn't school sponsored, it wasn't at Carmel High and she is over 21 but I still smiled when I went over to buy our drinks.
About half of her classmates attended which is darn good when they are scattered all over the country and globe. Some flew in and some were already here celebrating Thanksgiving with families. And they all looked so wonderful. Some were immediately recognizable - it seemed like they didn't change at all. Others I could figure out if I had a chance to look at them a bit before I went over to chat and then there were the handful where I really had to search to find the 18-year olds hidden in their 38-year old faces - but a glimmer was always there.
They were doctors and scientists and professors and artists and teachers and social workers and politicians and PR/HR/IT folks - and I have forgotten how many more. They were single and married, gay and straight, parents or not. Many had photos and I loved seeing them all. They seemed so very adult one minute and then I would spot a giggling group and it was as if they were right back in my class, trying to pass notes across the room. Certainly 20 years could not have passed.
What surprised me is how many were still in their first marriage. I know they are members of Generation X and I greatly admire this generation - the generation that brought balance back into the workplace. The generation that is not willing to put up with all the demands we Baby Boomers accepted as we fought for recognition among our HUGE class of workplace peers. This generation insists that time with family and friends is just as important (if not more so) as time at work. At this point their divorce rate is lower than that of their Boomer parents and this class seems to represent it well.
Bernardus Lodge was lovely. The dinner was delicious. I was in the exact same room maybe 15 years ago for the wedding of one of Stephanie's classmates. Both her classmate and her husband were at the reunion - and both seemed as happy as they were on their wedding day.
And so 20 years have passed. I loved watching them interact, hearing their stories, catching-up. I wish I had talked with all of them but there just wasn't time. And I really hope that I (and Jeff Wright, my co-Advisor) get invited to their future reunions!
Congratulations Kimbley (future mayor of Salinas, I am sure) and Tessa and all the others who worked so hard. It was a great party.
Ms. Krasnow thank you so much for sharing your reflections on teaching. Our class, and who we have become, is thanks, largely in part due to wonderful teachers like you. We are all very fortunate to have crossed your doors as you molded us into the adults we are today. The economics class you taught was one of my favorites. You brought us real world concepts, tracking the stock market by letting us "buy pseudo shares" one of my favorites ! and the Legendary food corporation exercise was not only great fun, wordly and practced real world conepts,it was exciting to be a small business co op, if only for a week. FDA Approved! Thank goodness the government didn't come knocking. I hope I wasn't one of the ones you had trouble finding 18 y.o. face in . :)
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