7th Graders

This week I spoke to two class of 7th graders at a local middle school, talking about chiropractic and a career as a Chiropractor.  I have been doing this for several years and it always is fun.  These kids totally pay attention, they answer my questions, they volunteer for a game we play, and they always learn something.  One of their homework assignments is to write me a thank you note, and then the teacher gives me these letters.

The letters are always typed out and it amazes me at how much they remember.  They don’t take notes during the class, yet a vast majority of the letters repeat back to me specifically what I have taught them.  They learn how many bones there are in the body (206), how many muscles (650) and how the brain communicates with the body through the spinal cord.  They learn that headaches are not “normal” and that poor posture and a lifetime of bumps and falls (up to 7thh grade at least) can cause spinal subluxations.

I love it when they end the letter with either “I want to go to a chiropractor now” or “I may want to be a chiropractor when I grow up.”  That’s great, they have learned something they never knew before!  Certainly I get the kids who write they have no interest in becoming a chiropractor, but that is okay, at least they have learned something.

So, I wonder what happens when they go home and tell their parents what they have learned.  Most of the letters indicate they have done that, and I know I have taught them something important if they are at least telling their parents what they were taught.  I love being able to teach these kids because they are so attentive and truly appreciate me coming in.  It is a fun and very worthy experience.