To All My Teachers…

To all of my teachers, especially those during the teenage years when all kids can be hideous…

Thank you for all of the hard work that went into your lesson plans each day. I had no idea that you spent all weekend trying to find the perfect way to teach us slope or photosynthesis or grammar. I had no clue that you would be crushed if it didn’t go well or when we thought it was lame. If I ever said something was stupid or lame or rolled my eyes or just started at you instead of participating, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.

Thank you for all of the energy that you brought to class each day. I didn’t know that you were up all night with a new baby or up until midnight working on grades. I never really thought about you as a person outside of school. For that, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.

Thank you for putting up with all of our adolescent drama. I can only imagine the horrors you had to witness as we discovered boys and make-up and things WAY COOLER than Math, Social Studies, English and Science. Thank you for not giving up on us when I’m sure you thought the future was in trouble. We didn’t mean it.

Thank you, Mr. Cramer, 5th grade, for taking me aside to let me know that you heard about my parents’ divorce and that you were there for me if I needed it. I’m 37 and I can still remember what I was wearing that day and where we were standing. I never took you up on your offer, but I always knew it was there and that meant the world to me.

Thank you, Mr. Jennings, 7th and 8th grade, for making English fun. I even loved memorizing that super long Cremation of Sam McGee poem. I bet I could recite most of it if you got me started. I remember so much from your class. That’s probably why I invited you to my high school graduation party; the fact that you came just proves that I had great taste in teachers.

Thank you, Ms. Steele, a.k.a. Steelebabe, for helping me every day in AP Calc when I’m sure you wanted to pull your hair out. I mean, how many times can you explain a derivative to someone before you want to scream? Thank you for still believing in me even though I used your class as…what did you call it? The Beauty Shop? I’m sorry I was more concerned with my hair and lip gloss than with AP Calc. I didn’t mean it!

Thank you, again, Ms Steele, for being such a wonderful example of a teacher that I try to model myself as a teacher after you. I think about how you worked with me every single day in AP Calc. I never thought about how you were giving up your planning period or your lunch to do it. While I appreciated it then, I appreciate it a million times more now because I know what you gave up for me. Thank you for sending me a dozen roses for graduation when you couldn’t come to my party. That was a treasure.

Thank you, all of my teachers, for your dedication to children. It can be an exhausting, thankless, frustrating job…but also one of the best jobs in the world. I truly believe those who are really great at it see it as a calling. I hope my positives as a student outweighed the times when I was more interested in passing notes or catching that cute boy’s eye.

I didn’t mean it.