Editor’s Note: For those who might be new to this blog, and/or just forgot, “Steve” refers to a stroke that occurred to me.

This past Saturday I bid Bon voyage to the class of 2022. As I have done countless times before, I participated in the commencement rituals including sitting on the field. Graduation is a time of reflection of shared experiences, relationships, as well as anticipation of receiving a diploma, and excitement of what is coming next. Unlike previous years though, I was feeling a bit off. Not off in the way that I might have been celebrating the end of the school year a little too much the evening before, but in the way that I missed half of the year.

Thanks to Steve I was out of the classroom for the entire first semester. Fortunately, however, I was able to recover enough from Steve to teach one day a week for the second semester. Due to this situation I felt disconnected from school. I loved to be on campus and more importantly loved being able to teach again. To connect with the students again and engaging them in learning was priceless. I was thankful and appreciated the symbiosis that occurred between my students and myself but I feel we didn’t quite gel. Likewise, I felt disconnected from the graduation rituals.

Until I sat down on the field.

During the processional, while the graduates are passing through a tunnel their teachers, I recognized a few of my students which was something unexpected. Unexpected because I only had twenty-two students in class this year; but I hadn’t accounted for the students I had had previously, d’oh! One of said students actually sat next to me, well between me and one other person, on the field! This student also happened to be a sibling of a former student! Now that I had connected with one student I began noticing more, and more.

Following the recessional, as is my usual practice, I mill around the graduates witnessing their excitement, giving a few “Congratulations!” here and there, and searching for graduation snacks. While milling and searching I heard an unexpected, “Mr. Woodward!” A former student had found me and we connected. Shortly afterward I was greeted by three more students, one from forever ago, and one that was the sibling of my student who sat on the field with me!

I’m connected.