The Greek Spirit

  

At the Greek Independence Day parade, I met Alexander, a friendly policeman who is also studying to be a P.E. teacher.

I do my best to follow the steps to a Greek traditional dance.

Eleni, an incredibly kind teacher who invited me to her school's Greek Independence Day celebration. The school is full of these incredible murals.

I had the good fortune to be invited to some schools in Athens on the days preceding Greek Independence Day, March 25. At one school, this included teaching a few SEL techniques and playing with some poetry with 9th, 11th, and 12th grade students - all while the school marching band practiced for the following day's performance right outside the classroom in the courtyard. The percussion and excitement for the ensuing festivities definitely tested my engagement techniques, but the student were thoughtful and insightful when discussing their ideas about the poem and fully committed to the brain break with giggles and hilarity, celebrating when they messed up on the complicated tasks. Their energy was infectious. It was such a delight to be with teenagers again - it's times like these that I realize how fortunate I am to get to work with my students and how much I love my job and can't wait to get back to PHS. Well, maybe I can wait a little more . . . 

At another school, I was invited to their schoolwide Independence Day performance, which involved the entire school gathering in the auditorium for the reading of historical texts and poetry, some singing, and some incredibly energetic dancing. The PE teacher was responsible for teaching the students the traditional dances and students were fully committed to mastering the complex steps, all performed in a beautiful unison with smiles and clapping and cheers from performers and audience alike. I was honestly impressed and a bit surprised by the students' engagement and enthusiasm for the traditional dances - based on students' reactions to similar endeavors I've seen in the U.S. Maybe there was similar rolling of eyes and embarrassed cringes when these students started learning the dances in their PE classes, but the joy I saw on the day of the performance was real. I was definitely not expecting to be called up to dance with the students - and suffice it to say that coordinated physical movement is not my forte - but I could not deny the gracious invitation. I was assured that I did a great joy, but I think that may have been more of the kind Greek aptitude for putting one at ease.

Finally, I could not resist cuing up along the sidewalk to experience the Greek Independence Day Parade. I witnessed a frankly sobering show of military might (which makes sense, as this is a day celebrating their protracted and brutal fight for independence from the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Greece for 400 years) complete with many, many tanks rolling down the street and fighter jets and helicopters zooming by overhead. There was also thunderous applause from the audience for the marching medical personel who recently aided in the horrific train derailment that happened just a short time ago. What really touched me, though, were the people in the audience and their obvious pride for their country. This country has been through so much, over the centuries, decades, and right now, but the people have an indomitable spirit that inspires and gives me hope for all of our futures.