Imagine being in a room with graduating seniors given free rein to complain about their school!
Well, Mrs. Kosowsky and I did just that last week for our formal exit interviews with the seniors on their final week of school. In theory, such an activity could be daunting and perhaps even disheartening, but it was actually quite the opposite.
To begin with, there were plenty of positive comments from the seniors, pointing to the relationships that they built with students and with teachers, the uniformly good experiences they have had with their Judaics teachers this year, their opportunities for leadership, their very positive experiences with the Educational Support department, the improvements in the athletic department, and the overall quality of the Farber students, as demonstrated in all of the NCSY and Bnei Akiva Shabbatonim.
As welcome as the glowing comments were, the critical comments were almost as heartwarming. Demonstrating their sense of responsibility and ownership of the school, their good relationships with the administrators, their earnestness and their desire to help, the seniors’ comments were entirely respectful and productive. They did not complain about nonsense or trivial matters, they expressed their concerns articulately and genuinely and they beautifully reflected the mission and the core values of the school. They even came with very specific suggestions in some matters, rather than just complaining about what was.
To Mrs. Kosowsky and me, the exit interviews captured so much of what the seniors acknowledged was great about Farber. It is hard to imagine a more constructive feedback session with 18 year olds on their way out of school.
When we think about what we want from our graduates, it is more than just a stellar academic record…we want well-rounded young adults, ones who take responsibility for their environment, who can express themselves articulately and respectfully, who want their younger peers to have a rich learning and religious environment…this was such a wonderful display from our seniors.
Never have I enjoyed constructive criticism so much!
