A bit of unexpected kindness

[Major catching-up posts...All of these (March 18-20) have been in my head--I just haven't had the time to post them!]

18 March 2014: I am going to be purposely vague here, in an attempt to protect student privacy. That will make for some clunky writing, but bear with me. I have a student this semester who is a lovely person, but has some social skills issues. [Let's just call him/her "C," which isn't his/her initials--I promise.] C's issues can be frustrating for everyone involved. In my less gracious moments, I sometimes find myself sometimes wavering between sympathy and exasperation--at least internally.

The other day, the class had been working in groups on a project, just the kind of thing that might really test both "C" and the rest of the class when it comes to these social challenges. So, a bit anxiously, I watched it play out. And it went fine. Just fine. But the awesome part was as the class ended. I was working with another student [we'll call him/her "D"] who had previously voiced some frustration with "C." As "C" was leaving the room, "D" turned around, reached out and gave "C" a friendly fist-bump. He/she even added,"See you next time!" "C" smiled and said thanks,

It was a small gesture, perhaps, and maybe I am making more of it than I should, but it really did touch me. College students these days get a lot of bad press, so to speak. They are self-focused, entitled, unprepared, etc. And certainly that's true for some of them, some of the time. But I am reminded again and again that they also can be kind and open and accepting, especially of their peers who have challenges. That gracious acceptance teaches me something about the kind of person I want to be.