Age

Communities like Poly are complicated in ways that are both thrilling and confounding. With a range of ages from 5 to 75, baby boomers through Generation Z interact on campus daily. Sociologists and pundits have created a cottage industry, defining each of these groups with a combination of nostalgia and contempt. I am sure by the time this piece is posted, a new generation will be identified and scrutinized. Whether these labels predict behaviors or not, Poly benefits from the myriad perspectives and influences that age brings.

Over the course of last year, we held a series of faculty and staff focus groups with loosely defined parameters: early career, mid-career, and later career. (As an aside, it was fascinating to hear the range of options for naming our latter career colleagues and the responses and judgment each evoked.) As one might expect, themes of love for Poly, too fast/too slow, a wistfulness for simpler times, and connections or lack of connections was consistent for all groups.

Over the past two weeks, I have met with smaller groups of our later-career teachers and administrators. It won’t surprise anyone that this group of educators who have committed their lives to work with young people is passionate about their work. Their stories of “back in the day” were told with pride and tinges of refreshing irreverence. There was an appeal for distinguishing being busy from working hard and a wondering about how to share their wisdom and perspective without appearing to criticize new ideas or playing the role of obstructionist. For me, it was a wonderful opportunity to be with a group of generous and tenacious souls who have shaped this institution with conviction and purpose.

Urgency and innovation have their place in the work of schools; in fact, our work requires it. However, we would be remiss if we trivialized a plea for reflection as mere obstinance or slowing down as shortsighted. When one of our kindergartners stopped to say hello this week during drop-off, and I asked him if he thought he would learn anything that day, he said, “I think so. Isn’t that why I’m here?” As are we all.

JWB
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