SSB: My Thoughts

Intro - Hook/Thesis

Positive 1

Positive 1

Conclusion

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So proud I am!

First, read my poem:

College and Career Ready

Day by day, the teacher did assign,
Choosing the lessons to align,
To ensure her students the school motto met.
Her students' skills gained an asset.

College and career ready, they say.
You can do this, she did parlay.
Too often, their achievements underplayed.
Not here, though, their futures an extended highway.

Each assigned.
Each accomplished.
A resume.
A paper.
A speech outline.
A Google presentation.
Dressed up for their oration.

All heroes and herones on these speaking days
As heart rates speeded, running many verbal relays.
Shaking knees and shaking hands,
Prepared to reach the bar, their teacher understands.

Proud they are, breathing silent sighs of relief.
Mental high-fives, huge smiles signifying belief.
Forget all the moans.  Forget all the groans.
Forget all the "I can't's."  Forget all the work zones.

Today, they came.
Today, they spoke.
Today, they answered.
Today, they "Thank you"ed.
Today, they proved "College and Career Ready."

So proud she is, this teacher of theirs.
In these proud moments, she shares.
She thinks they can.
She knows they can.
They prove they can.

I think I can.  I think I can.  I think I can.

Simply became.

I can.

I am.

College and Career Ready.

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Yes!  I am proud of each one, for each student accomplished more than they thought...and some accomplished a lot more than they wanted!  For four days, I hosted Senior Seminar Boards, bringing community members, administrators, and teachers in to listen to speeches and view their presentations.  In all, this is a symbol that these young men and women are...or soon will be...ready to graduate.

First, I am most proud that they all met the bar, some stretching, extending, over-exceeding...all making me proud in the end.  Speaking in front of peers causes the heart beat to increase, the sweat glands to pour, the nerves to jump, and the eyes hard to focus.  Oh, my!  Stress!  This lesson, though was a good one.  They may have thought they could not, but, now, they know they can!  Yes!

Second, I so appreciated the questions the Senior Seminar Board asked and, even more, the comments they spoke to the class as a whole, all echos of statements I had previously verbalized.

To be continued...