Background

It sounds bad, but the oddest thing about meeting all your students is that they are all people. High school students are not only people, but vulnerable, half-baked people. It kind of freaks me out. I always have the kids write me letters to introduce themselves, and as the years have gone on, I give […]

Dumb

When school ends, people often ask how I’m doing, and I say, “Well, I’m not feeling like myself quite yet.” I mean, I need a little more time away from the intensity and responsibility of teaching. It’s been four days since school ended. Just today I sweated through the classroom cleanup and whisked my plants […]

Alarms

This year, at the senior banquet, I got the first shout-out. I don’t like being the center of attention, so I was both pleased and embarrassed. What does the graduating senior say of me, after two years in my class? “I remember Ms Schurman always used to say, ‘Wake up!” The purpose of education is, […]

Bricks

Twice in the last month a kid has said to me, I used this word. And you taught me that word. I have that word now. When you teach an infant a word, the first time a baby says a word, it’s magical, video camera worthy. These were the two words: arduous and abyss. Apparently […]