The summer before I started high school left me with a lot of possibilities. It got me thinking about what my teachers would be like, the workload of my classes, and how high school would be different from middle school.
What I didn’t expect was how much you would shape me into the person I am now.
I remember walking into your classroom freshman year feeling extremely nervous. I heard some positive things about you as a teacher and as a person outside the classroom. My sister had you once before and enjoyed the way you taught. Taking what she said, I went in with a more positive outlook since English was never really my favorite subject during this part of my life.
Now it’s a bit ironic because I’m earning a Creative Writing minor from my university’s English department.
Junior year of high school was crazy for me. I lost count of how many times I went to you to catch you up on parts of my life, advice, or completely sleep deprived due to doing all my homework late at night due to tech week for the school musical.
Senior year was very similar, but this time around the questions were more definite and the answers you gave me seemed to be what I needed to hear at the time even if I didn’t like it. What sticks out to me now is when I came to you saying I considered not going to college you gave me a list of questions to go through, making sure I evaluated all my options before ruling them out.
You showed me there was more than one approach to solving problems school-related and personal. That is something I don’t remember being taught in middle school. Yeah, I was told to things one way but I would disregard the directions and do it in a way that made sense to me. You got that when some others haven’t, and I’m happy I got the pleasure to be one of your students.
Your classes were a part of the day where I got the chance to not be afraid of who I am. You took a kid who overcomplicated just about everything and assisted in painting the colorful portrait I am now.
Thank you for everything, Mama T.