This week had two interesting things happen. First, I had the Gridiron Glee Club throw choir t-shirts to 8th graders that were touring the school as part of a promotional speech for the program. GGC didn’t sing. I didn’t think they would feel comfortable. They were disappointed. So, with their new found confidence, they are going to sing for the other feeder school that will be touring next week. My, how the tides have changed since the beginning of school!

The second interesting thing is that today we began learning how to tie a necktie. It was a crystal clear case study in resilience. Several boys only made half of an attempt before they gave up, others felt that one successful attempt was enough. Others continued to practice until they were confident enough to do it without the tutorial video. They treated the ties with respect after I explained to them that the district purchased the accessories to support the program. They didn’t verbalize it, but they exhibited a sense of pride that is slowly transforming the group.

Slow and steady wins the race.