Poetry, Prose and Parable.

Tomorrow’s Hope

Last week our eldest grandchild entered the teenage years. As a retired secondary teacher, I just love to see the transformation young people undergo; entering high school as 12 or 13 year olds and exiting as young men and women. It is a privilege to walk these years beside them, to facilitate and encourage their learning and growth and to model for them what responsible adulthood can look like. I always told my students that regardless of which subject was being studied we were here together learning about life; we were learning how to take our place in all the worlds that surround us, how to use our wonderful, unique gifts and talents and ultimately take our place in society as contributors. We place much hope in our young people. The future truly does belong to them and in those classrooms, all across the globe, there are students who have innovative solutions to the problems which face us today and to the problems that are yet unforeseen.

Our grandson has begun his secondary schooling at the high school which is the alma mater of our first female Prime Minister. He is part of the STEM; Science,Technology,Engineering and Mathematics program. The poem below was written when one day, as a supply teacher, I was in a classroom of junior secondary students working on a STEM project. I dedicate it to all the young people who are tomorrow’s hope, building resilience, learning how to cope, for futures yet unseen.

STEM Poetry by Estelle D.

Screens flashing, keyboards tapping,
Mouse clicking, students thinking,
Plan, draw, design, create,
Throw some ideas around with a mate,
Group work, discussion, collaboration,
Solving problems, fascination,
Imagination on a screen,
3D printer flashing red and green,
Today’s students, tomorrow’s hope,
Building resilience, learning how to cope,
For futures yet unseen.

Estelle D  © July 2016.