my students...

In early May I decided to change schools for the upcoming year. I told my students during our last week of classes and I was honestly surprised to receive some of the responses that I did. Of course, there was that one class that I told and they all clapped their hands and shouted in glee... but I was surprised to have so many students even care enough to ask me why I was leaving. I told them I'd rather not discuss it but it wasn't them. I didn't feel right telling them that I "strongly disliked" the administration, most of my students had to stay with the administration. A few other students (a few of my seniors) got a little bit more information.

Either way... One of my students made probably the most mature gesture I'd seen all year from any of my students, freshmen to seniors. My year with him had been a like a roller coaster ride. He's a really smart kid with a lot of attitude and a lot of things going on in his life. So he occasionally made my life hell. He'd do things like get upset when I didn't call on him for answers to questions, or come in after lunch and just refuse to sit down and stop dancing. Once I saw him in the lunch room on a day he didn't take my class and he told me I was very ugly, and then said he was kidding. A roller coaster ride.

So at the beginning of the last week of classes, towards the beginning of class he raised his hand and asked if he could speak to me outside. So I stepped outside my classroom with him to talk and he said something to the effect of, "I know we've been through a lot this year, we've had our ups and downs, but I just wanted to say that thank you for this year. I really did learn a lot and you're a good teacher..." I was so touched by this. I made a big joke about it while he was saying it, but I went running to some other mtc-ers in the building and told them my little proud story.

I knew what everybody says is true, how teachers have a big impact on their students and even though you can't usually see how you're affecting them you are. But it was good to finally see it.