Nov
16
The Heart of the Matter
Filed Under Mary's Blog
When we kicked off The Lab @ Homecroft this year, I had no concept of how intense it would be to take The LAB to the next level. I had no idea what key elements would be required in order to bring this vision to life. Three months later, it is clear to me – it takes teamwork and hospitality. It is also clear to me, that our students are always watching us – our behavior, our example…
None of the work at The LAB can happen without our amazing team of volunteers, Lab staff and guest artists. It is all unfolding very quickly and we are dancing as fast as we can, to get to know the students, and to get to know each other. Each of us comes to the work for our own reasons. Each of us has our own unique talents to offer. What we have to offer first, and foremost, however, to one another, and to our students, is hospitality. A smile and hello, a high-five, “I’m glad to see you today”, and a “I’m glad you’re back”, takes each of us miles toward connection.
Every minute at The Lab is an opportunity for growth and teachable moments, for both students and adults. Each interaction is an opportunity for adult mentors to offer support and to be role models for youth and for each other. We have a chance to teach and be role models each time we welcome a busload of students to the Lab and guide them to come into the building with respect and calm bodies. We have a chance to teach and be role models each time we encourage students to be respectful and engaged audience members. We have a chance to teach and be role models each time we make space where students can take risks in small groups to create and/or share their work, their stories and creativity.
It is all very exciting and it is very hard work. The teachable moments are plenty for students, and equally, plenty for us, the adults. We are navigating a new world of welcoming perfect strangers together to become a team, in order to offer creative opportunities to students. As school teams gather for staff development 2 times per month, there is finally time for the most salient team issues to rise to the surface, and to work them through. Teams finally get the time to talk to one another, to really see one another in their humanity, in their fundamental desire to do good work. This is what The Lab is all about – offering our positive view of and hope for youth, encouraging each adult to offer their best self in the workplace, shining a light on the strength of youth by mirroring to them the best in ourselves, and offering a space of hospitality, connection, and dialogue. We are challenged each day to ask ourselves what we are modeling for our students.
It is all unfolding at lightning speed, with never enough time to prepare completely for everything coming toward us. Every day, we make a list of the things to troubleshoot, to correct, for the next time, so as to create a smoother process for the work to occur. We are learning from each other’s unique talents, moments of success with students, strategies, stories and perspectives. We are learning what it means to be a team. We are learning how to care for each other as carefully as we care for the youth we serve. It is messy work, this team thing. This humanity-thing. Our heart-beat is strong and fast at The Lab these days. Anything that involves the human heart is bound to beat fast. In the end, though, we won’t forget the heart of the matter – hospitality and teamwork. And remember – the youth are watching.
