Two of the biggest benefits of being done with my
dissertation is having my weekends back and being able to go back to football
Saturdays with my family. Last Saturday,
we watched Clemson try really really hard to lose to Troy State. It was exciting for another reason as well
because Cedarius Rookard, former JBE student and SHS graduate, plays for Troy
and Tavien Feaster, a 2016 SHS graduate, plays for Clemson. My husband, not being a SC native, married
into this Clemson craziness. While he pulls for Clemson, probably out of fear
of divorce and the fact that pretty much all men in my family have a gun in
their trucks, my husband tolerates Clemson tailgating, 80,000 loud fans, and
the insane traffic coming into and leaving Death Valley. But this game was different. He was super excited to see two of his former
players on the big stage. Cedarius was the first player to touch the ball in
the game running back the opening kickoff. Unfortunately Troy scored on their
first drive, and kicked off to Clemson to none other than Tavien Feaster. I got such a kick out of watching my
husband-as well as trying to explain to the folks around us why we were decked
out in orange and purple but cheering for Cedarius and the excitement of seeing
Tavien in his first game.
As the game came to a dramatic end, my husband (never
one to really like this at Clemson) raced down to the field in order to find
Tavien and/or Cedarius. Now if you know my husband, you understand why I
watched in amazement. He is my polar opposite. I am full of energy, excitement
and enthusiasm. I have ADHD and am never still even when sitting, I am loud and
can be a tab bit embarrassing while he is laid back, quiet, reserved, and
somewhat a wallflower in public situations. But on the field he was almost
running over folks to find his former students. While watching my husband act
in a non-predictable manner, got me thinking about us with our students. Cedarius had a great game, but his team lost.
Tavien only touched the ball a few times. Yet, my husband needed to high five
them, give them a “man” hug, and congratulate them. It was important to him to
celebrate with “his kids”.
My thoughts drifted to our students. Our students
don’t usually make it on the big screen. Our students’ “big moments” may be
staying on green two days in a row, finally getting that math concept you’ve
been working on for weeks, writing a complete story with a beginning, middle,
and end or even engaging in conversation.
But the feelings are the same as if they are on the big stage in front
of 80,000 screaming fans. Do we
celebrate those moments? Or do we worry about what they don’t know? Do you
spend time patting them on the back for what they did right or do you focus on
what is left undone? My husband celebrated with Tavien as if he had won the
Heisman and he honestly touched the ball only twice and it reminded me of one
of the most important lessons of our classrooms. Don’t forget to celebrate-big and small. We
all need a fan club.
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