Confidence

As I was watching Idol last night, I was marveling at all of the 16 year olds who were auditioning and at how confident they all are. That made me think about the kids I know in Atascadero, my 16 year old niece, and Susan's kids. I came to the conclusion that this is an amazing generation. They all seem to brim with confidence. Catherine, my niece, is so accomplished and confident that it's exciting to know her. She's attending a charter school in Sacramento, and my brother tells me she has become the student spokesperson for the school. She is getting top grades, she is working at Starbucks, and she has an exciting new internship which is part of her school's curriculum. She is the director of youth programs at a youth center in Sacramento, and she assures me it's "legit."I tend to just marvel at her. She is more confident and mature at 16 than I was at 26. My sister and I were not able to conceive, so she is all we've got in terms of her generation. She's enough. Not only is she very intelligent, she is beautiful inside and out. She told me last night she has decided to attend San Francisco State. Her maternal grandparents live there, so she has spend a lot of time in The City (as we northern Californians call it). I love San Francisco myself, and have always thought it would be amazing to live there. I'm so excited for her!! Susan's kids, Cassidy and Trevor, are both confident, amazing kids. Susan has raised them to be independent and strong. When they were small, she let them explore the world, within limits of course. I was always impressed that she was never the type of mom to say no to them because they might get dirty or make a mess. She has taught them to be fearless and confident in their abilities. I know countless students who are very impressive people. Katie and her fierce determination to educate herself and have a better life, despite obstacles in her way. Brittany and her awful home life, yet she is relentlessly positive and has earned excellent grades her entire life. I have had so many students over the years who have started writing a novel while in junior high. All in all, I think that this generation is exceptional and they are going to do great things. I think when it's time for them to be in charge they just might make the world a better place. I feel so blessed to be a part of so many young people's lives. I can't wait to get back into my classroom. I have a bumper sticker on the podium in my classroom that says: "Kids aren't the problem, they're the solution." I feel confident about trusting the future to today's kids.