Our students deserve hope for future

Have you ever noticed that the word “crisis” has lost its meaning to the average American?  Kind of like “billion” has lost its ability to impress.  In the past several months as a nation we have become immune to the impact of words that used to be appropriate only in rare instances, and only to describe extremes. 

 Did you know that your heart will beat “only” two billion times if you live an average lifespan, and one billion seconds ago it was 1978?  A billion is a big number.

 The same goes for the word “crisis”.  Nowadays, the word crisis is applied to almost every element of our lives.  Housing crisis. Banking crisis. Healthcare crisis. Credit crisis. Education crisis. If this “crisis culture” is to be believed, we live our lives in a constantly unstable situation of extreme danger and difficulty. That’s the definition of “crisis”.

 While I do not disagree that we are living in uncertain economic times, I do believe that we have much to be hopeful about as well.  Among the 37,500 students currently attending Clovis Unified schools are the future business leaders, politicians, scientists, authors, artists, educators and explorers of America; and it only takes a few minutes in one of our classrooms to become hopeful about the future.

 As educators we get a glimpse of tomorrow every time we see one of our students conquer a new skill, accomplish a personal goal, or discover that “aha” moment when a challenging academic concept is understood.   And let me tell you, the future looks bright.

 Learning isn’t easy, that’s clear when watching a kindergartener struggle to sound out simple site words, or a high school senior work out a calculus problem; however, our kids don’t give up.  Instead, they practice, they do homework, they test their new knowledge, and they learn from their mistakes. 

The same is true of a good teacher.  Good teachers watch and learn how to deliver instruction based on the individual learning styles of their students.  Good teachers make adjustments based on changing circumstances, and they are always on the lookout for new ideas and strategies to help their kids succeed.

 These lessons can be applied to all of us; whether we truly are in crisis or not.   We can learn new ways of tackling problems, we can look for innovation, we can adjust to changing circumstances, and we can never give up. 

Our young people deserve for us to take this attitude and apply it to our current economic times.  As a school district, we commit to doing so for our students.  We will make the most of the resources we have available, and do so with innovation, a positive attitude, and with the belief that anything is possible; and as a community I hope we can do the same.