This week, I ate lunch with a group of students and their teacher. I was in the front office when a student stopped to ask whether I had eaten yet and invited me to join him and his class for French onion soup. I paused for a moment because I wasn’t expecting such a thoughtful invitation. I had just come from a lengthy meeting, and, honestly, the thought of a warm bowl of soup and time in a classroom with students sounded delightful.
I learned quite a bit about the techniques involved in caramelizing
the onions and seasoning the broth, and I was impressed by the learning taking
place in the classroom. Spending time visiting with the students and learning
from them was especially rewarding. Partway through the conversation, one student
sincerely complimented me on “running a fine organization.” I thanked him and spoke
briefly about the strength of our staff and students, who make my work so meaningful.
Another student mentioned how well the student body gets along, which led to a
conversation about building a positive school climate and culture, one that
supports and values every student while appreciating the breadth of academic programs
and student activities that bring people from diverse backgrounds together to
learn with and from one another.
I did not expect the conversation to take the direction it did, but I am grateful that I took the time to engage with the students and listen to what matters to them. I hope they will extend the invitation again, because there is much to learn over a bowl of French onion soup.
