To You
Dear Student, You know who you are. Yes, you. The one with the shoulder so chipped you could be easily grafted onto the side of a cliff and fit right in. According to the law, all I owe you is an education. The quality of said education is relative, if we're being honest. However, because of who I am, my goal is to give you the best education I can, the kind of education I would want my own children to have. This means I'm going to pour my soul, literally, into each second spent in your presence. Whether I'm talking about active and passive voice, dissecting a sentence, or analyzing symbols and motifs found in a novel, you're going to get my best. Having said that, your only job is to listen. You don't have to accept what I'm teaching as truth and I applaud that; you should have your own voice and opinion in this world. You don't get to tell me to compromise. You don't get to tell me I must cater to your needs and yours alone. You don't get to attempt to have your way then get mad because i don't immediately jump on board with your flawed thinking. Yes, your thinking is flawed. You know I'm already giving you my best. I've done more than say it; I've shown it and you can't deny it. Demanding that I sacrifice the quality of learning for others just because you aren't pleased, or simply put, aren't trying, is unfair and will not happen. Just as I choose to create lessons that will not just conform or inform, but engage and challenge, you choose to say no. You choose to lead your pack of "rebels" to storm the front, only to find you are ill-equipped to make a difference. Am I saying I am always right? Absolutely not. I have no problem admitting I am wrong when I'm wrong. That's a part of being human. I know how life operates, though, at least school life. You can't expect me to sympathize with you or your cause when you openly choose to pave your own road during class. That's not how things go. You can't tell me to be like your other teachers who do your bidding just because you ask or told them to. I'm a different breed of teacher. I have expectations and I hold them up for myself and you too. How I run my class, what I expect from you is clearly stated in the beginning and if nothing else, I'm consistent. I'm fair, I'm consistent. I will never force you to learn. The law simply states you show up and be counted for attendance. There's very little I can do beyond that. A forced education is an empty one. This is life...real life. I may bend but I don't break. You don't have to like me. I've resigned myself to the fact I'm not always going to be liked; I did that back in 6th grade when I realized I'm always going to be an outcast, an outlier, an anomaly. Here I am, lightyears from my elementary days, still holding on to that belief because it's been confirmed everyday since. I won't lie to you. It will be easier if you simply acknowledged the fact that I'm here and I'm here to learn and teach and help. The choice is yours. In the future, though, make it a point to be consistent. I know you're a teenager and your hormones are painting Picassos all over your brain. I get that. But you have to learn to be consistent and responsible for your actions. You may get far with your bullying but imagine how much farther you'd get if you were just sincere and consistent and responsible. Just food for thought. I'm still here. I still plan on upholding my beliefs and standards. You're welcomed to accept the challenge or find this truth out the hard way. Sincerely, Teacher
