First, I want to offer my most sincere apologies to all of my teachers. In retrospect, defining vocabulary words, crafting a one-paragraph Spanish composition or learning about MLA guidelines is not the end of the world. The past semester has proved that the ability to construct a bibliography and correctly format in-text citations is a vital skill in the collegiate jungle, and I would be at a loss without it. As much as ninth grade me would hate to admit it, you were right.
While we are on this track, you were also right about organization and effective studying. If I’m being honest, those lessons were the most boring to listen to, (and probably the dullest for you to teach) but they are so valuable. Your lectures on study tips, note taking, annotations and outlines paid off ten-fold, and have made me a better student. Thank you for standing your ground and ignoring the complaints of a roomful of awkward 14-year-olds when we protested our workload, questioned your teaching ability or threatened to stage a coup.
On the subject of gratitude, thank you for the effort many of you made to make class time fun. I still smile at the memory of the “How To” projects, posters, field trips, history dramas and experiments. As students, we may have rolled our eyes at the time, but you should know that a good many of us really enjoyed it.
I could go on, but I don’t think enough praises can be sung or enough thanks said. You went beyond the syllabus, by teaching life lessons that extended past the walls of the classroom. You did your best to make sure we would be prepared for what college and life were going to throw at us.
You went beyond the label of a teacher, you became a mentor or a friend. You took a personal interest in me and made an effort to encourage and empower me. Thank you for taking the time to learn my name, ask about my aspirations and listen to my questions. Thank you for writing those letters of recommendation, (I’m sure they were odious) and for really believing in me, as cliche as it sounds. Being a teacher is one of the more thankless jobs on this planet in so many ways, so let me say this: By simply loving your students you have impacted a whole generation, and we will forever be grateful.
