The 3 Magicians

[Scott Habeeb]

We’re on spring break right now. I have to admit that the 2 or 3 weeks leading up to spring break were not exactly my favorite. It is not uncommon for people to ask, “How can you be a high school administrator? Don’t you get tired of dealing with nothing but discipline?” Typically I am able to inform them of the fact that my days and my job consist of much more than discipline and that I love my job. However, during those weeks leading up to spring break I was beginning to wonder myself how I could be a high school administrator! It seemed as though all I did was deal with discipline, upset parents, and conflicts. To be completely honest, I really wasn’t feeling all that great about teenagers in general.

Today my wife and I took our 4 kids bowling. While we were there having some nice family time along with another family from the neighborhood, the 3 magicians walked up.

I recognized them from school but didn’t know their names. Turned out they were Michael, Raymond, and Shane. They walked up to me and said, “Mr. Habeeb, want to see a card trick?” The three of them proceeded to show me card trick after card trick. My kids walked over to watch. I have to tell you, it was fun. These kids were good. They knew just what to say to make it really feel like a magic/card show. I was impressed.

As I drove away from the bowling alley, I realized I had a smile on my face. Primarily it was because I had enjoyed watching my own children bowl. However, it was also in some part a result of the 3 magicians. Yes, they had been entertaining, but they had been more than that. They had reminded me of something. I really love high school students.

I don’t know what Michael, Raymond, and Shane are like in class, but they were a lot of fun outside of it. They had enthusiasm, senses of humor, and really wanted to impress me with their tricks. They had obviously put a lot of work into their tricks. High school kids are great. They’re kids. They’re fun. They’re worth spending time with.

I’m not ready for spring break to end, but the 3 magicians worked a little magic on my attitude about heading back to school next week. Thanks, guys.

[Guy Skrobul]

Scott,

Thanks for sharing. I notice that when I am at my lowest, it is always something said/done by a student to bring me out of my funk. Yes, the week(s) leading up to spring break are always hectic, but I, too, really love high school students and could not think of a better career than as an administrator working with them on a daily basis. Have a great week!

Guy