BY NANCY KIDD Like many of the kids I taught in detention, before I first walked through the door, I never, ever dreamed I’d end up there. And once inside, just as many of them did, I found myself wondering, “What in the world have I gotten myself into? Is this a dream?” It’s funny how life sometimes unfolds in unexpected ways. After college, I taught for two years but then moved back to Champaign-Urbana to be near family and…
BY NANCY KIDD What do you do … when you’ve been hired to teach 10- to 16-year-olds with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities at a juvenile detention center? When you don’t know until you walk in how many students you’ll have based on who was arrested or brought from court since the day before? When none of them are happy to be where they are? When they appear lethargic and unmotivated—likely focused on their own personal, serious situations?…
BY NANCY KIDD Shortly after my parents lost their beloved dog, Molly, Dad announced his plan to get a new dog. Although we were all sad and missed Molly terribly, none of us six kids—or our spouses—or even the grandkids thought Dad’s decision seemed like a good idea. My parents were, after all, in their 80s. My mom had dementia, and we were all working to keep them at home on the family farm. It was not ideal, and we…
BY NANCY KIDD No need to judge others or to compare myself to anyone else. All I need to do is walk my own path and be ready to take the hand of those I encounter and to walk a bit with them. Sometimes that togetherness happens because I need a little support, so I work on asking for help and continue learning to accept it more graciously. Other times we walk together because I am there to assist someone…