From my files: This is an homage to the only 7th grade class I ever taught, back in 2008.
I met the Halflings, as I call my first 7th grade class—exultant at the move from cubbies to their first lockers, which they promptly festooned with an explosion of personal memorabilia— with some trepidation. Even at our smallish private school campus, they were obviously concerned as to whether they would be able to find their way, wide-eyed, from class to class with only four minutes between. Since then, we have written in hieroglyphics, witnessed the Barbarian attacks on Rome, survived the Black Death, wrapped our Arkansas tongues around "Après moi, le deluge," and most lately, been horrified by the conditions in the trenches on the Western Front.
Tonight I am grading history test papers, feeling at once ready for this school year to end and reluctant to let this group of 7th graders move on. In some ways, a group of 7th grade boys can be like a litter of Labrador puppies, all arms and legs and braces, snorting at the inside joke, poking one another, making bizarre noises, falling over one another in the hall, launching paper hornets at the unsuspecting student -- and drumming, always drumming on the desktop. The girls, their uniforms carefully accessorized to define their personalities, do their homework with big loopy handwriting, some dot their i’s with hearts, and all carefully walk the tightrope between childhood and womanhood, baffled at the joy the boys take in the flight of an errant paper hornet, yet interested in them just the same.
As I grade their test papers on The Great War, I'm amused at young Will, who has listed among the causes for World War I "individualism" -- which can be a problem, I guess, if taken to the extreme, although I have never thought it dangerous enough to create global conflict. Perhaps he was searching for "imperialism."
He was not alone in his momentary confusion. Someone said “artilliarism” was one of the causes. Another reached back and pulled out “Inquisition” and thought perhaps the Catholic Church had contributed to the war. One student recounted “materialism” and another listed “manism.” I hardly knew how to respond to that. My favorite by far was "metabolism" instead of militarism. Those who wage perpetual war against fat could probably make a decent case for that one.
Then there was the student who said the “Automan” Empire was one of the belligerents. Reminded me of a franchise place you go to have your oil changed in 30 minutes or less. An otherwise very bright student started out on the wrong foot on this test-- by misspelling his own name. Perhaps it had something to do with the full moon. Or fatigue. The school year grows to a close, and we are all weary.
This wiggling mass of 7th grade humanity has been a delight to me this year. They have challenged me, surprised me, occasionally horrified me, inspired me, and made me laugh. They reminded me what it was like to be at the border crossing between twelve and the land of the teens, without the muscles of the big boys yet, but with the heart of a lion and the gifts to contribute so much, whatever they decide to do when they lay down their paper hornets. I will always remember them.
