It’s that time of year where the end of the semester is rapidly approaching and our students are starting to realize the inevitability of their grades. But it is also Thanksgiving week and so we should focus on what we are thankful for right? So I figured it was time for another set of thank you notes.
(Note: I truly love my job and my students. I really, really do. These are just a few snapshots of the crazy that comes out this time of year. If you are a high school teacher, I hope you will get me. If you are an elementary teacher, you may not just because you tend to be way kinder and more sunshine-y than us.)
Thank you online grade book. You try so hard to keep students and parents updated all year of their grades, and it isn’t your fault that no one looks at you until the last minute and then hates what you say. The feeling of neglect is real and I appreciate your camaraderie in this. It’s nice to know I am not the only one completely being ignored.
Thank you student who walks in the day of the test and says, “Oh shoot, there is a test today?” Your surprise pushes me to work even more diligently to make it clear when we have tests since the daily reminders the past month, clearly stated due dates on the whiteboard, notifications in the online grade book, and the last three days of in-class review haven’t been obvious enough signs.
Thank you parents who are just now appearing out of the woodworks. It’s nice to meet you 4 months into the year. I am glad you decided to start
checking up on your child’s grades when there are only two weeks left in the semester. It’s funny how you’ve just now realized that email exists and that I’ve been contacting you all semester with concern. I appreciate your enthusiasm and vigor in the non-stop emails you’ve been sending me.
Thank you students who are currently asking for extra credit. It makes a lot of sense for me to consider giving you extra credit when you haven’t done any of the regular credit. If you devoted as much time to doing your homework as you do wishing for extra credit, we’d all have a lot lower blood pressure right now.
Thank you parents who email me after seeing your child’s grade to know if that is really what their grade is. Yes, your child really did make a 55 on my test. No, it is not a typo. No, I will not drop the grade. Welcome to high school. Goodbye.
Thank you, Starbucks for the 4 pumps of peppermint and 4 pumps of mocha in your grande peppermint mocha. Because of you, I am capable of being a heavenly angel in 1st and 2nd periods, and then an absolute troll the rest of the day due to the sugar crash. Way to keep me, and my students on our toes. They love the Jekyll and Hyde effect I’ve got going on right now.
And finally, thank you student with a 74 who asks if it is possible to get your grade up to an A by Friday so you don’t lose your cell phone for the weekend. Your optimism and sheer ability to ignore EVERY warning I’ve ever given you all year long are truly inspiring. You motivate me to one day be as bold and completely oblivious to reality as you are. I truly thank you for making me aware that this is possible.
