Growing up, I had a love-hate relationship with the academic aspects of school. I loved tests when I had a handle on the subject matter. Math tests? Science tests? Not so much. I used to have diarrhea every single morning in high school until I finally got to senior year and didn’t have to take a math class.
I loved every Literature and English class though. I loved studying poems and short stories and vocab. I even loved diagramming sentences in middle school. I loved getting the best grade. (I did. I’m such an asshole.)
During my senior year that I had the best English class ever. My teacher had an uncanny ability to inspire fear and fun at the same time. We all wanted to do well, knew she wouldn’t let us fuck around too much, but also knew that she respected us and our individual talents.
When we studied the Canterbury Tales, she allowed students to tell their own exaggerated fables for the class. She made sure the door was locked and allowed profanity and shenanigans and we developed a true understanding of the art of storytelling. And yeah, we still had to bust our asses for the tests and the essays on it.
She didn’t let me get away with writing a poorly-researched half-assed thesis. I got a B-. But I got a 5 on the AP Lit exam because she worked my ass off all year. I took an after-school creating writing course. I listened to her stories of doing poetry readings with her daughters at her side.
She worked for a tiny, Episcopalian school but never seemed to compromise her ideals.
She showed me what teachers should be and could be and what it truly meant to have a mentor and an inspiration.
She came to my wedding, but we haven’t kept in touch and I wish we had. As an adult and a mother, I’d love to know more about her perspectives as a parent. I’d love to know what she’s reading right now. I’d love to say hey, I’m still writing stuff. Every day. And I have you to thank for that.
You should look her up ^_^, just to say “hey, I’m still writing stuff”. I’m sure that would make her really happy & plus it’d give you the opportunity to tell her thank you and talk to her about parenting. I don’t know many teachers who go to their students weddings…sounds like someone worth getting in touch with again.
.-= Brittany´s last blog ..Bedtime Diatribe =-.
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I actually heard from my fave English teacher (who I’ll be writing about for my post in a few) through Facebook! I could not have been happier to be back in touch with her. She was the same — scared us and inspired us. Good teachers are such gifts.
.-= jules´s last blog ..The Other Girls =-.
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I should look up some of my old teachers and see what they’re up to. Some of them changed my life forever, it only makes sense that I should keep in touch!
.-= Teija´s last blog ..Without teachers, we are nothing. =-.
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Definitely look her up. Speaking as the daughter of a teacher, it makes my dad’s day when a former student contacts him and tells him how much he influenced them.
.-= Beth´s last blog ..Dickinson, Derrida, and Frost, Oh, my! =-.
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