I have had kindergartens enter the room and break out in tears of despair just seeing me. Their world has collapsed – the regular teacher is not there.

When I’m there it is often because the teacher is not just at a meeting in the building but actually away. The older kids are used to what a sub is but it’s the times I have to explain to the kindergarten class who I am that surprise me. I have to tell them yes I am a real teacher, yes you do still have to do as I say, yes I do have instructions from the teacher so don’t worry. But they also want to know something else- how is the teacher?  Where’s Madame?  And they don’t care academically – they want to know if she is OK. Is she sick? Will she be coming back? When will she be coming back? They miss her. She is for them not only a friendly face but their stability.

Even in grade 3 when I told the kids the teacher wass away but I was not told why, one said“I think she’s sick. She said she had a sore throat”. They nodded sympathetically. 

Last year at a local high school one of the teachers called me in for an emergency .Her father had just been diagnosed with a rapidly progressing fatal illness and she needed to take time off to be with him.  Since this would completely throw all her plans with the class I was to come in immediately and sort of take over. The students in grades 10-12 are pretty flexible as long as the material gets taught but they also wanted to know what I was doing there.

Two weeks ago I walked with 1500 students at a local high school, out of the school, down the road, around a big park and back, in the rain, for the Terry Fox run.  Every school in our city and I believe nearly every school in the country took part in the same massive fundraiser. And though kids of course are in a jovial and teen-focused mood even in the rain, there was something very touching for me watching them in essence try to save lives of those they love, in any way they can. 

The next week I was at a small south  elementary school and on the entry wall there was a big poster. Those kids also had taken part in the run and they had also been asked to handwrite who they were running for. In the childish scrawls of various grade levels I read “I’m running for my grandpa”, “I’m running for my dad”, “I’m running for my aunt” and the more troubling “I’m running for my brother’”. There were several “I’m running for my dog”

Kids amaze me because they have hope. It is nice to connect with that mood.