For my students: Embrace the NOW
It's another snow day today. I am not sure how I feel about it because it seems as if winter is demanding one last hoorah after letting us off the hook for much of this winter. I am trying to embrace it and waiting for my daughter to come down the stairs so we can go do something silly. One of my favorite things to do on a snow day is to go through the numbers on my phone, and send texts to people who I haven't talked to in a while, just simple little notes to let them know why they are so important to me. I figure it takes about a minute to do and maybe someone might need a little reminder of why they matter to someone. If you have never done this, you really should! It is actually as much for me as for the person I am texting. As I was sending a few messages yesterday, I realized that my first batch of junior students are preparing to graduate college this year. I still am in touch with many of these students. They were my first victims. I am not exactly sure what we learned-I know we studied The Crucible for an entire nine weeks and made movies out of it and I still have the video, so please be nice to me :)! I was also thinking about one of my younger co-workers who wrote a blog this week-an open letter to her students. It was lovely. I hope you will read it (I will try to figure out how to link to it). In her letter, she talks about being a young educator, and being so close in age to her students. Despite how I may look, this is NOT the case for me. Even though I have only been teaching for six years, I am, unfortunately, many MANY years removed from the high school experience. I told my friend and co-worker that I was going to copy her idea, and send my own open letter to my students, but from the "older" teacher lady perspective. RachelClaire, I hope you don't mind, but here is my letter:
Dear Students (past & present):
I am geeky, nerdy, crazy about my content-11th Grade English (focusing on American Literature) and AP Language and Composition. I love almost everything about getting to teach you about using language effectively and watching you wrestle with complicated ideas and language. But you want to know a secret-I know that many of you won't remember my excellent, thought provoking lessons. I know because eons ago I was a high school student, and I remember (vaguely) maybe three or four actual lessons from my high school career. Another secret-that isn't why I design those excellent, thought provoking lessons. I'm not in this gig for you to rock the AP exam or create legions of dedicated American lit connoisseurs. Although it would be lovely, I may not ever teach the next great American novelist. What I need you need to know that the most important stuff about high school isn't the lesson plans and daily work and test scores. I want to stop right now and apologize if I have ever ever made you feel that way. I am sorry that so many people in power believe that this is what our education system is all about.
It is about making you think. It is incredibly important for you to be able to think critically and find your own voice. What is important about high school is you don't have to know who you are, but you can try on and try out and begin to discover who you are. What is important is that, as much as you feel pressure to perform to a certain level (either academically or socially) that you realize that you have a safe place to learn and question and fail and survive. So many people belittle the pain of failure for you. I know it is real. I know that it can be debilitating. But I also know that we are supposed to create a place for you to heal. The most important lesson I learned from high school was that I was valuable in some way, and that value was unique and would enable me to succeed. All of you have something about you that I will remember forever!
The memories I have from high school are mostly about the teachers and the people who saw me fail and had the dignity, patience, and grace to allow me to struggle to get back up. I do remember some of the humiliation, but what I really remember is the fun and triumph of some of the opportunities I was given. I remember thinking about and talking with my friends who may or may not have been struggling with homosexuality, home issues, race issues, and genuine fear about what would become of their lives. I remember trying to learn how to talk to people who I was different from and trying to relate to their struggles. I remember feeling lost and like I didn't matter. I remember teachers who went out of their way to let me know I was loved and valuable. I remember believing them, and that being so important to me. That my desire to earn their respect drove me to do things I did not even know I could do. I don't remember the bad teachers-I don't have space any more because I'm old and I chose the memories I keep.
We are heading for the end of our time together. I am so excited for you. I am hopeful we have time to make some memories you will keep. Do not rush through this last little bit of our journey. Do not focus so much on your bright futures that you neglect to celebrate the present. Do not wish yourself into regret. As much as I am going to push you to think and write and learn in our last few days, I will also push you to make memories and laugh and celebrate. That is where we can help each other. I told you on the first day of school that I did not love you-yet. I do now, and as someone who cares about you, I hope you will find value beyond my awesome daily lesson plans.
Love always,
Mrs. Moore
Dear Students (past & present):
I am geeky, nerdy, crazy about my content-11th Grade English (focusing on American Literature) and AP Language and Composition. I love almost everything about getting to teach you about using language effectively and watching you wrestle with complicated ideas and language. But you want to know a secret-I know that many of you won't remember my excellent, thought provoking lessons. I know because eons ago I was a high school student, and I remember (vaguely) maybe three or four actual lessons from my high school career. Another secret-that isn't why I design those excellent, thought provoking lessons. I'm not in this gig for you to rock the AP exam or create legions of dedicated American lit connoisseurs. Although it would be lovely, I may not ever teach the next great American novelist. What I need you need to know that the most important stuff about high school isn't the lesson plans and daily work and test scores. I want to stop right now and apologize if I have ever ever made you feel that way. I am sorry that so many people in power believe that this is what our education system is all about.
It is about making you think. It is incredibly important for you to be able to think critically and find your own voice. What is important about high school is you don't have to know who you are, but you can try on and try out and begin to discover who you are. What is important is that, as much as you feel pressure to perform to a certain level (either academically or socially) that you realize that you have a safe place to learn and question and fail and survive. So many people belittle the pain of failure for you. I know it is real. I know that it can be debilitating. But I also know that we are supposed to create a place for you to heal. The most important lesson I learned from high school was that I was valuable in some way, and that value was unique and would enable me to succeed. All of you have something about you that I will remember forever!
The memories I have from high school are mostly about the teachers and the people who saw me fail and had the dignity, patience, and grace to allow me to struggle to get back up. I do remember some of the humiliation, but what I really remember is the fun and triumph of some of the opportunities I was given. I remember thinking about and talking with my friends who may or may not have been struggling with homosexuality, home issues, race issues, and genuine fear about what would become of their lives. I remember trying to learn how to talk to people who I was different from and trying to relate to their struggles. I remember feeling lost and like I didn't matter. I remember teachers who went out of their way to let me know I was loved and valuable. I remember believing them, and that being so important to me. That my desire to earn their respect drove me to do things I did not even know I could do. I don't remember the bad teachers-I don't have space any more because I'm old and I chose the memories I keep.
We are heading for the end of our time together. I am so excited for you. I am hopeful we have time to make some memories you will keep. Do not rush through this last little bit of our journey. Do not focus so much on your bright futures that you neglect to celebrate the present. Do not wish yourself into regret. As much as I am going to push you to think and write and learn in our last few days, I will also push you to make memories and laugh and celebrate. That is where we can help each other. I told you on the first day of school that I did not love you-yet. I do now, and as someone who cares about you, I hope you will find value beyond my awesome daily lesson plans.
Love always,
Mrs. Moore
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