Loss is hard. It is devastating. It changes us. Our recent loss in our community is not something I ever wanted to write about, but it is important because so many of us are hurting. Last week, our school, our community lost Jimmy, the kid brother of one of my eighth grade students. Just a fifth grader taken from us way, way too soon. My heart is broken. I never had the chance to teach him. I never had the chance to formally meet him. But like all the younger kids here, I was excited to teach him. Jimmy had a legend I was eager to learn from. I hope some of my words here can help your healing process or at least let you know that you are not alone in your pain, in your struggles, in your journey.

There’s a famous song they sing in my English family’s hometown. The words go: “When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.” From what I’ve heard and seen, Jimmy appreciated a good smile. He called us to, “Be happy for no reason.”

When we had a drive-by parade for him a few weeks ago, I got to see that smile I’ve only ever seen in passing. He was so happy. That youthful joy and appreciation, that moment, is something that will stick with me for a long time. The whole world smiled with Jimmy. Don’t forget -when you’re ready to again- to be happy for no reason.

FC Barcelona has a motto: “Mes Que Un Club” – “More Than A Club.”

We have a similar motto: “More Than a School; It’s a Community.” That’s how I felt that day, as part of the parade. It wasn’t just a parade; it was a community coming together for one of their own.

We are here for you. When you have days where you feel like many of you do right now, we are here. When you graduate, we are here. When you move onto the next chapter and want to give back to the next generation, we are here. We love you; you are part of us. Each one of you matters.

There is a popular song amongst many soccer and even theater fans. “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” I’m going to link it here for you, with the lyrics. It is so powerful. It can be there in the highest of highs and can be there to lift you from the lowest of lows.

The most important thing is that you know you never go through life alone. When it feels like the odds are impossible. When it feels like nobody cares, like nobody gets you, we love you. I love you. Your community is here. And now you have one more up above, looking down on you, smiling for no reason.

Know that as a Panther, you’ll never walk alone.

Ever the teacher, here is your assignment. Take some time to think about those in your life who mean the most to you. How did they make you feel? What did they do to make it that way? If they are gone, what do you miss most about them? If they are still here, what would you like to tell them that you appreciate about them? If they are here, tell them how you feel. They are a part of you, a part of us. Make sure they’ll never walk alone.

YNWA,

Mister Adair

In the immortal words of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson… “Finally!”

It has been a long, busy summer, but I am glad to get a new crop of eighth graders into my 8A classroom. This class, in particular, has a deeper connection to me than most. As a university practicum student, I spent two and a half weeks in Mrs. Holtmeyer’s fourth grade class while they were also there. It was great to get to know many of the students then, and it is exciting to see so many four years later. It has been a long road to get back to each other, but here we are!

This year will give me a chance to build on some things we did in my initial year teaching at my alma mater. We will build on books like The Outsiders and The Little Prince (my favorite book of any kind) as well as feature some short stories early on. We will look at a variety of genres, and my goal is to increase representation in the voices our students here.

English class will be deeper this year than before, bringing in a lot of connecting pieces. I want students to gain a fresh look at their world and how to tell their stories with their own authentic voices.

I read more this summer than any summer in my life, and I am always looking at finding new ways to help students connect with reading. Aside from reading, I spent my summer mornings and late nights working on a series of picture book manuscripts. Being able to share my journey from professional sports writer to picture book author is special, and I hope some find it inspiring.

We also have one extra addition to 8A. My six-year-old son is now a kindergartener here and gets to hang out in Dad’s classroom before and after school, play with Dad’s cool toys {ahem, “educational tools”}, and have 70+ big kids looking out for him.

Thank you for all the support you have shown over the past year and understanding when I couldn’t be there the first week of school, due to illness. I love these kids, and it was so hard to miss out on those first two days. We’ve managed to squeeze my first-day traditions in though already.

If you would like to support the classroom in other ways, we do have an Amazon wishlist.

The first semester is coming to a close, and our eighth graders continue to grow and learn about themselves as individuals and as learners. I am blessed to have such an amazing class.

Some of the things we have done in Literature include a unit on Edgar Allen Poe, one on short stories, and study the novel “Stargirl.” Our Advanced Literature class has read things like “The Most Dangerous Game,” an excerpt from “Seabiscuit,” and the play “12 Angry Men.” Additionally, we have read and reflected on picture books that help us find a deeper connection to self and community while also learning the ways art and word can work as “music and lyrics.”

In English, one of our first big writing projects was “The Big Question.” We started by studying character development and then turned those questions internally, writing about who we are on multiple levels. Most of the semester was dominated by our narrative project. Students were able to write an original fictional or non-fictional story, and we worked through the whole writing process. There were some fantastic stories that displayed creativity and voice. Many even chose to write a fictionalized version of their own experience, adding a new weapon to their writing arsenal. Aside from writing, we also worked on enhancing our vocabulary and refining our grammar. We even used a Hot Wheels car race to teach us about writing dialogue!
Experience the “Panther Internationale” in this video.

While the first semester was great, I hope the second semester will be unforgettable. We will read some of my all-time favorite books in Literature. English will continue to focus on creation and honing one’s craft. January kicks off the legendary research paper. (I still remember the one I co-authored with my friend, Dave Martins, many years ago.) We will also take part in the 7/8 Spelling Bee. Finally, we get to do my vaunted, absolutely top secret, favorite project of the year.

Aside from the classroom activities, Mister Adair may be conspiring with some other teachers to do some other wicked cool stuff this semester too. That guy is unpredictable.

Happy New Year to my 8th grade students and their families.  I hope that 2022 is off to a good start for you all and I’m excited to welcome the students back to class.