I have been working as an educator of sorts for over 30 years. This sounds like I am all grey haired or something, but I started as an early teen, so I am only mildly ancient.
When I was 13, I started volunteering at the local science museum, Center of Science and Industry (COSI). I was immediately was taught how to work with the public answering science questions, performing shows on science topics, and basically showing off with my huge, science-geeked teenage brain. I learned quickly that it I didn't know something, go look for the answer immediately--knowledge must not be faked. I learned it was okay to say, "I don't know, let's go find out." I got to run around in a lab coat, and wear a round badge with my name on it. I got to look like an adult, and I was thrilled when someone called me, "Ma'am." The first few shows I did were in and around a weather station, and included cool stuff like making clouds in a bell jar, cooking hotdogs in a parabolic mirror with the sun's rays and shooting pencils at 125 mph at blocks of wood through a tube to simulate the force of a tornadic wind. Later, I got to help create a show collaboratively on earthquakes, tornadoes and continental drift called "Shake, Rattle and Roll." This show had a grand finale of making a volcano that was lit with a magnesium strip, shot sparks and more than once got the carpeting smoldering. I was very proud of it.
I felt I had really made it at the museum though, when I was entrusted with helping to run the planetarium. They had a 1964 Spitz planetarium machine that was reportedly worth $250K, but looking back I really don't know what they paid for it. All we knew, was it was delicate, it fell apart easily, and changing its halogen lightbulb was devilishly difficult and could only be done by one of the adults. Learning how to work the planetarium was only allowed to a chosen few, because it was one of the most popular of the exhibits in the museum. All the shows effects were all orchestrated manually, and it took some dexterity to make it all look automated. One show had over 93 manual cues, and it was only a half hour long. Doing this 9 times or more in a day, and it was not surprising that if I was the only volunteer on duty, with one supervisor popping in from time to time for breaks, I would get sweat stains in the armpits of my lab coat.
Looking back, I can't help but be grateful for the amount of trust and leadership that the museum staff gave its volunteer force of teenagers. We truly did run that museum on the weekends and in the summer time. It couldn't have been done without us, and we were so proud of work experience it gave us--and the freedom to succeed or fail in being awarded new responsibilities.
In college, I got a paying gig as the weekend supervisor of the planetarium, and as one of the weekend overnight camp-in staff. I worked with a lot of volunteer teens, and I gained a new appreciation for how to work with them to gain their trust, and get their input on how to make science exciting for them and the thousands of visitors and scouts we had going through the programs.
I graduated and moved away, but whenever we go back to visit, COSI is always one of the places we must stop by.
Fast forward to about nine years ago--a fellow actor in a show I was in mentioned that he worked as a speech coach at a local high school, and they would love volunteers to work with team. Having also been a former high school and college speech geek, as well as a working actor, I jumped at the chance to see if I could work with them. It sounded like a blast.
I interviewed with the head coach, and she said, "You're not volunteering--I'm hiring you!" And I have been happily working with them ever since.
It's a part-time thing. The stipend is nice, but it isn't commensurate with the amount of hours we put in. However, a lot of us have been coaching for many years, and it's because we love it, and we truly enjoy our kids. I am sure my experience as a teen volunteer who was trusted and guided has some influence on my happiness in being able to coach and interact with the kids on the team.
The best thing about working with teenagers, is the amount of "brain explosion" that is going on in their lives. I mean this in a great way--I swear sometimes when I am working with a kid, I am watching neurons connecting and expanding their capabilities at lightning speed right before my eyes. Their ability to change and adapt and learn thrills and boggles my mind.
I love watching year to year, the freshmen novices evolving from uncertain, clueless little kids to seasoned, poised, and focused varsity members. You cannot judge a person by what he/she is like as a freshman. They change into new people every year, and in four years, you barely recognize them as the same person. It's so fun to watch.
I rejoice in the child who goes to every tournament, but doesn't break into finals for three years--then in her fourth year, figures it out grandly, and ends up being the only one on the team that makes it to State. That child has learned tenacity. That child has learned that hard work makes it happen.
I rejoice in the kid who decides to join the speech/debate team even though he has only been speaking English for 18 months. I admire his hard work and tenacity and rejoice when he starts getting top ranks. That child has learned so many things, but mostly that his ability to overcome adversity is a formidable gift.
I get frustrated with the talented child for whom acting or speaking comes easily at first, so they don't put in much effort to improve. I warn them they will get passed up, but it is the rare kid who heeds that warning. Usually that kid has to learn it the hard way, if at all, and it's brutal.
The best is the talented kid, who does learn that they still need to work hard to be the best, to push themselves, and that the drive to succeed has to come from inside them, not from someone else pushing them. That kid will succeed no matter he/she goes.
I am humbled and grateful for the chance to be a part of a coaching team that seems to make a real impact on the guidance and development of these wonderful kids. We have so many that come back after graduation for years to help out, to give back, and to share with others what we have given to them. This makes it come around full circle, and it is a wonderful thing for everyone.
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