G shares, 

Today was the first day one of my kids managed to stay in class for more than five minutes. While, that may not seem like a big deal, it is. For the first time all week I was able to get to know him as more than just the “crash out kid” and as it turns out, he is full of surprises. He is funny and kind and an exceptionally gifted ballet dancer, believe it or not. There was this one moment in art class that I think perfectly describes my experience at the Tennyson Center. As this boy, who is notorious for his big emotions struggled with his art project, the energy in the room was potent. From an outsider’s perspective, him shoving out of his chair and furiously pacing back and forth might have looked unhinged. But after my week here I noticed the smaller details; he was counting his breathing and tapping his fingers against his arm as a way to calm himself down. I could see the war waging beneath his eyes and how hard he was working to keep it together. That is what the Tennyson Center is all about; it may look like a group of kids who have gone off the wire, but there is so much more happening behind the scenes. These kids are working day and night to fight demons that most people will never understand. They are some of the strongest people I know, and I am in a constant state of awe over how far they come every single day. They are a testament to humanity, and the bravest group of children Ive ever come across. I can only hope to one day embody even an iota of their boundless courage.

 

MAE shares, 

On Monday, our first day of this immersion, I was scared because I did not know what to expect and I also did not put myself out there to the high school kids I was with because I am an introvert. On the second day I got to know this one kid and we talked about a music genre we both liked that is K-Pop, and we talked about some groups that were coming to Colorado. On the third day I knew all of the kids by name and a little bit about them, like their background and why they were at the Tennyson center. Today or Thursday I had a great time with a lot of my kids, they know me now and we are having conversations with each other a lot more frequently than the first day. I don’t know how much my presence has impacted them each, but I hope I did something to help them. I cannot believe tomorrow is the last day because I don’t want it to be. I had such a great time at the Tennyson center and with all the other senior girls and our lovely Regis leaders. Tomorrow will be bittersweet, but it is time to end this immersion. I hope I will never forget this incredible experience, and I hope all the kids I have met get to thrive in this life.

 

Emery shares, 

On the first day of our immersion at the Tennyson Center, I walked in expecting to be dealing with a classroom filled with behavioral issues but was faced with an experience which differed from the rest of our group’s, as mine was on the border of being nonverbal. I was placed into the “ASPEN” middle school classroom which only has 4 students in it, all with severe autism. For the majority of the week, I struggled to connect with the kids in my class as most of the week only 2 kids were in school, making it that there was a teacher assistant and teacher assigned to each kid. Whilst I didn’t have the experience I was expecting with the kids, I developed a relationship with my teacher and through talking with her, learned she had a medical condition that was personal to me as someone close to me had the same one, which allowed me to learn so much from her about how she developed her relationships with her students. Today I was able to connect and build a relationship with one of the kids in my class which was rewarding as I have been trying my best to talk to him all week! The biggest lesson I’m taking away from this immersion is that we are all “one.” Meaning that we all are in need of the same love, care, and connection no matter the way it is communicated. Our group of girls on our immersion grew a lot closer and deepened/made new friendships that I already value so much. I’m so grateful for my week at the Tennyson center and know I will never forget it!

 

Riley shares, 

Throughout my week at Tennyson, I have seen a different classroom dynamic everyday depending on which students show up to school. It wouldn’t seem like one student can make such a big impact on an entire class, especially when there is only a maximum of 5 elementary school kids in one room with 3 adults. Yet, certain behaviors can quickly cause a chain reaction. Most of the students’ feelings are expressed through physical aggression when their emotions are too much to handle. It can get intense at times, but the students can also quickly re-regulate themselves, which calls for a time of reflection in our class. Today one of my students claimed in reflection time that he was being a “bad kid” when asked what went not so well during group time. One of the wisest redirections by a teacher I have heard all week was that “there is no such thing as a bad kid”. She added that there may be times of chaos, intensity, dysregulation, and you may have handled a situation poorly, but she solidified in his head the truth that a bad kid simply does not exist. I completely agree with this statement, and I do believe that no one is inherently bad. Tennyson taught me that no matter how intimidating or harsh behavior may come off, the intent behind the situation is often never ill. These students may act out of typical character because they have faced so much hardship in their lives, but they are still so incredibly loved, cared for, smart, and kind. I hope to never forget how special everyone at Tennyson is, and I will hold the people that I met in my heart forever. Thank you, Tennyson!

 

Natalie shares, 

During my week at the Tennyson Center, I have learned about the multitude of expressions of emotion and the importance of connection and friendship. Many of the students have a wall built up emotionally and are very quiet because of past traumas, this can make it hard to form connections with them because they don’t trust anyone, let alone a stranger. Something that helped me to get to know and understand the kids in the elementary classroom better is the interests that each kid has. Asking the kids what they liked to do was the best way to find something positive that they liked to talk about. For one student it was electric bikes and e-bikes, finding this interest led to many conversations about his e-bike and how he is customizing it. Seeing the joy on his face when he talked about his bike was truly gratifying. Another student was so talented at drawing. It occupied his day completely, anytime he was stressed or overwhelmed with what was going on around him either in the classroom or the hallway drawing immediately calmed him down. Talking about art allowed me to get to know him and form a connection that gave him a friendly face to see in the hallway. From this experience I have learned that a shared interest can be the start of a friendship or connection that can help a person to know that they are loved. The Tennyson Center has shown me that the way that we speak to people can change their whole day and our goal is to make that impact positive with every person that we encounter.