I wrote this post in 2017, but never posted it for some reason. The best part? This college sophomore still emails me every couple of months to keep me updated on her life. I LOVE it. 🙂
So this year I have a little group of kiddos who dislike their advisory classes and/or hate eating lunch in the cafeteria, so they come to me instead. I have no 5th period (which means no lunch or advisory period. Hallelujah!) and an extra-long prep time. This period is awesome when my students are writing because I can have open office hours for kids to come for help–and they do! These kids came for help a few times and then decided they’d just stick around.
We actually have a lot of fun and we’ve all gotten to know each other really well. One of the girls cracks me up because she can be so awkward sometimes. But thankfully she’s okay with me laughing at her awkward “heeey” every day when she comes in.
Last week she asked me if I ever cried at my desk. I told her it had been quite a while. Then they were coming up with scenarios that might make me cry (they clearly underestimate my inner strength).
Anyway, this weekend I received this email. If it were from any other kids, I would probably be irritated, but because it’s from my funny, awkward friend-when-she-graduates (other teachers have these kids too, right?), it just made me laugh out loud.
Super important quick question. Read this as you will not be disappointed in me.
Hi Mrs. Louden, I’m sorry that I did not start out that email like I traditionally would, but if you are that upset over it, you could take a trip to your local Lowe’s and build a bridge and get over it.
I did not mean to go that far with that email, please don’t go ball up in the corner of your room with tissues all over the floor, crying with popcorn watching Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix.
I hope you’re having a great weekend. I have a concern. I REALLY want to use this source for one of my premises, BUT I DIDN’T DO MY ARTICLE ON IT. It is so vitally important for me to use this article, and if I do not get the chance to use this article, I will get an F on the paper, making my grade drop, making me not be motivated enough to go on to the next grade, making me drop out of school, making me go to the military, making me get my GED. Maybe that could turn out good because I would be in shape and go to college for free.
But look at me (in your head), I am not fit for the army. They spit in your face and yell at you. Not the place for me! I need to use this article. It’s so legit. I mean, come on, it’s for the New York Times. I’ll even annotate and highlight it up if you want me to. I need my paper to be your example. I need my paper to look down on everyone else’s. I need my paper to receive a 182/100.
In short, could you please allow me to use an extra example for my evidence from a alternate source. It would very much be appreciated, and you will not be disappointed. I will link the article down below, just to show you that it is a great article.
Thank you and thank you.
P.S., I did not mean for it to be this long, making my “Super important quick question” statement ironic. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this email. I understand if it takes 2-5 business days to respond.
As you can tell (and she pointed out), this was NOT a quick question. It could have been, but she really got into it.
My juniors this year are some of my favorite students of all time (sorry previous years–I loved you all, but some classes just stand out!), and it’s kids like this that I will always remember. 🙂
Rereading this made me smile. It also made me sad. I’m contemplating (more than that really, I’m pretty actively pursuing) a move out of education. I’m just done teaching. I really enjoy instructional coaching, but I don’t love that it’s a job that may or may not exist from year to year. I crave stability and security, so that kind of position just doesn’t help me out that much in the anxiety arena.
Either way, if I stay or go, I’ll always cherish the relationships I built with so many students over the 14 years I’ve been teaching.
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Midwestern Heart in Dixie 
I agree with Darin. It’s heartbreaking to lose great educators. Working in our profession is tough and gets tougher as the seasons go on for many reasons. That’s why we write about it. I appreciate the clear relationship you show with your students. We never know for which student that relationship will mean so much.
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it is tough and definitely getting tougher. This is year 14 and I’m just done. For So. many. reasons.
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Great post! There is nothing that I like more than a quirky student. I often look out at my classroom and just chuckle at all their quirky awkwardness.
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>I’m contemplating (more than that really, I’m pretty actively pursuing) a move out of education. I’m just done teaching.<
I found the email highly entertaining until this part. At this point, like Marlin said in Finding Nemo: "Happy feelings gone."
I hate it when awesome teachers get so discouraged they look elsewhere. The email shows the impact you've made already, image 10 more years, heck, 20 more years of relationship building. Ugh! It makes me mad that we are simply cogs in the machine, a machine that chews up teachers.
However, ending on a positive, that email cracks me up! I have daughters, one a senior and one a sophomore, and I can see each of them writing emails like this as high schoolers.
Thank you for sharing this with us. I hope you find peace in your journey out of education (or that you find peace IN education!). 🙂
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Aw, thanks. I hate to leave education because I believe in it, but my mental health is taking precedent right now. 🙂
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Nope, no need to explain. Teaching has gotten out of control between students, other teachers, parents, administators, and worst of all, politicians. Ugh. If teaching were just teaching, I’d get on your case. But it’s not anymore. I wish you well where ever you land, but I hope you are able to keep “teaching” and writing! 🙂
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