Thank you to all of those teachers who cared.
Not many teachers I’ve had know what I went through my freshman year.
It was, by far, the most difficult year of my life.
***
Jill Gouger, you kept me afloat.
Most kids thought you were nuts.
I thought you were brilliant.
I would sit, waiting outside your door before school because I didn’t have anything else to do.
I learned a lot about you.
You would come in and I would hear the latest news in your life: spilling coffee, surviving your husband’s back surgery and smashing your finger in your garage door.
You gave me a reason to come to school every morning, because I knew I wouldn’t be left to wander the halls.
Today, even though I don’t have you as a teacher, I still find myself staying after school, sometimes for an hour or more, just to talk.
These conversations are often that last boost I need. That little push to give me enough energy to get through the mountain of homework so my life can move on.
***
Azie Taghizadeh, you showed me everything I could accomplish.
I built a DNA chain more than eight feet tall out of shoelaces, bows and CD pieces.
I failed miserably at my year-long paper, but you sure tried to help me every step of the way.
You gave me the basis of note-taking, which has helped me in every class I’ve taken since.
But, most of all, you know how to laugh.
Today, my notes are my own, and I know how to succeed.
I always know I can come in and get advice on how to conquer the reading in AP Biology.
After my test grades dropped, you took me back and gave me the advice that has helped me realize it’s okay not to get an A every time.
You’re always starting class late because you’re talking about life, but it’s a welcome break in a busy life.
***
Jill Chittum, you are my mom away from home.
My freshman year, I took J1 because I thought journalism was something I wanted to get into.
It was one of the scariest classes I’ve taken. I remember thinking, “Wait, you want me to, like, talk to people?”
You were always asking me if I would take newspaper or yearbook, but I couldn’t ever give you a committal answer until I turned in my application.
I’ve been a newspaper nerd ever since.
I’ve never had a family at school before; you helped me get that.
Thanks to your guidance, I now lead a section of the paper, which is teaching me how to apply my skills in order to teach.
But, most importantly, you’ve been there.
I came to you when life was too much at the beginning of this year.
After discovering a friend was harming herself, I came to you and just cried. You let me stay through part of my first hour until I could calm down.
You strike up conversations on the bus between here and there.
You taught me how to get a thicker skin, which helps me in all areas of my life.
***
There are more teachers who have impacted my life. Don’t think these three are the only ones. Every teacher has changed me in some way, all from being themselves as well as spectacular teachers.
It’s important to show our teachers how much they’ve done for us.
Their job is tiring. They don’t get paid as much as they should. They deal with all types of students, the good and the bad.
They deserve to hear how they’ve impacted your life.
Not many teachers I’ve had know what I went through my freshman year.
It was, by far, the most difficult year of my life.
***
Jill Gouger, you kept me afloat.
Most kids thought you were nuts.
I thought you were brilliant.
I would sit, waiting outside your door before school because I didn’t have anything else to do.
I learned a lot about you.
You would come in and I would hear the latest news in your life: spilling coffee, surviving your husband’s back surgery and smashing your finger in your garage door.
You gave me a reason to come to school every morning, because I knew I wouldn’t be left to wander the halls.
Today, even though I don’t have you as a teacher, I still find myself staying after school, sometimes for an hour or more, just to talk.
These conversations are often that last boost I need. That little push to give me enough energy to get through the mountain of homework so my life can move on.
***
Azie Taghizadeh, you showed me everything I could accomplish.
I built a DNA chain more than eight feet tall out of shoelaces, bows and CD pieces.
I failed miserably at my year-long paper, but you sure tried to help me every step of the way.
You gave me the basis of note-taking, which has helped me in every class I’ve taken since.
But, most of all, you know how to laugh.
Today, my notes are my own, and I know how to succeed.
I always know I can come in and get advice on how to conquer the reading in AP Biology.
After my test grades dropped, you took me back and gave me the advice that has helped me realize it’s okay not to get an A every time.
You’re always starting class late because you’re talking about life, but it’s a welcome break in a busy life.
***
Jill Chittum, you are my mom away from home.
My freshman year, I took J1 because I thought journalism was something I wanted to get into.
It was one of the scariest classes I’ve taken. I remember thinking, “Wait, you want me to, like, talk to people?”
You were always asking me if I would take newspaper or yearbook, but I couldn’t ever give you a committal answer until I turned in my application.
I’ve been a newspaper nerd ever since.
I’ve never had a family at school before; you helped me get that.
Thanks to your guidance, I now lead a section of the paper, which is teaching me how to apply my skills in order to teach.
But, most importantly, you’ve been there.
I came to you when life was too much at the beginning of this year.
After discovering a friend was harming herself, I came to you and just cried. You let me stay through part of my first hour until I could calm down.
You strike up conversations on the bus between here and there.
You taught me how to get a thicker skin, which helps me in all areas of my life.
***
There are more teachers who have impacted my life. Don’t think these three are the only ones. Every teacher has changed me in some way, all from being themselves as well as spectacular teachers.
It’s important to show our teachers how much they’ve done for us.
Their job is tiring. They don’t get paid as much as they should. They deal with all types of students, the good and the bad.
They deserve to hear how they’ve impacted your life.
