We have students that travel
to The Ohio State University everyday to challenge their learning by attending
college level classes while in high school.
As principal, I knew this was happening and have casually spoken with students
who were doing this but just this Summer, I realized the importance of
experiencing a day in the life of our College Credit Plus students who are
attending OSU. So today was the day to
make this goal come to fruition.
I started my day at 6 a.m. in
the Starbucks line to order coffee drinks that I wish I could drink; a caramel
frappuccino, a pumpkin frappuccino with heavy whip cream and a pumpkin
latte. I, on the other hand, ordered a
bold, dark coffee, which contained less calories. I also figured that I needed
the caffeine to get through a college Stats class. I met our students at Worthington Kilbourne
HS, gave them their coffee (or sugar) order and we were off. I followed the students through the traffic
on 315 S and down to campus where we parked and rode the bus to Campbell
Hall. Maybe it is just me, but I am
amazed at what our high school students are doing in 2015 to take risks and
further their education. Now mind you,
I cannot compare my high school experiences as the world has changed from 28
years ago.
After getting off of the bus,
we walked for approximately 10 minutes through the beautiful campus of OSU and
arrived at the lecture hall. The
students shared their experiences with me, pointed out the different buildings
they attend and again, thanked me for joining them. We were the first to enter the lecture hall
and the closer it came to 8:00 a.m., the more the seats filled up. Class began on time and students took notes
with laptops or pen and paper.
I was most surprised by the
personalization of the Professor in a lecture hall of 100+ students. I went to a small university with classes of
25 and certainly developed a stereotype
regarding OSU lectures. Students
were able to ask questions during class and the professor took the time to
answer and extend their learning. The
professor moved into a review of the upcoming exam and I listened to our Worthington Kilbourne students answer the questions under their breath and yes, they were answering
them correctly as the entire lecture hall sat quietly. I smiled and encouraged our students to speak
up and be proud to share their knowledge. These students are definitely ready for college and this experience is only enhancing their confidence and realization of their next four plus years.
It’s now “real time” and I am
sitting in the 5th row back of the lecture hall experiencing a sense
of thankfulness for lots of reasons, specifically that I do not have to take
this exam next week. All in all, I am super proud of our students,
like Kyle, Eric, Erica and others who
are taking academic risks to challenge themselves and living the attitude we
have been discussing at Worthington Kilbourne High School of “Keep Moving
Forward.”
By the way, on our bus ride back to the car, all three students agreed that their teachers at Worthington Kilbourne High School are better instructors than those they have had at OSU..."just sayin'!"
#GoWolves
#GoBuckeyes
