Today I realized how much my older students love to talk about high school. Before COVID, they enjoyed the regular things high schoolers do: prom, graduation, socializing. When I mentioned my youngest daughter will mostly likely have a prom (while the oldest daughter didn’t due to COVID), all the girls immediately wanted to talk about their prom dresses from three years ago.
Out came their phones. Out came the photos. I enjoyed a parade of red, silver, black and purple gowns. I heard horror stories of white gowns and melting spray tans. Students told me all about the night whether they went in a group or with a date, in a limo or by other means of transportation. We had so much fun talking about their prom memories. I had no idea that red dresses were so popular!
I noticed how much my students love to talk about these high school memories. So I let them. I asked more questions. I saw more photos. I was so happy for them! I did consider how an entire class of students–the 2020 graduating class–had no prom and no graduation. They don’t have these memories to ever share.
But these college juniors and seniors do have their prom memories, and they loved talking about it today.