Dear November Teacher,
It is August, the second week of school. Do you remember how the second week of school feels? I love my job. I don’t love the getting up early, but I don’t mind it so much either, because I love seeing and teaching my kids every day. My advisement group? They’re the best. And goodness, Spanish 1….we LOVE Spanish 1! And that kid in my advisement who is taking German but has taken it upon himself to rewrite the date in Spanish every day on the board, and did five of the unit 1 stamps because he was so excited at how much Spanish he knew just by watching me type up the slides each morning before class? Or that girl in first period asking if she would be able to understand Spanish soap operas by the end of the class, because they’ve just added so many new ones to Netflix? Or all those sweet babies you taught last year in Spanish 1 who are so excited that you are their teacher for Spanish 2, and all the others who have stopped by to tell you they miss you – even that girl you thought hated your class? Or the girl doing her stamps last week – veintiuno, veintidos, veintitres, veinticuatro, veinticinco, veintiseis, veintisiete, veintiocho, veintinueve, VERDE!!!!! Oh wait that means green…TREINTA!!! She got there, didn’t she? Or those Spanish 2 kiddos who sang the song and did the gestures and were actually smiling – even the one whose Spanish 1 teacher said she passed out of pity? I think he’s going to be all right this semester! I think he can do it!
Anyway, November teacher – I wanted to tell you that back here in August, exciting things are happening – relationships are being built, enthusiasm kindled, and sweet, sweet learning. I know it gets hard when it’s dark and cold and tempers are short and the beginning of the year enthusiasm has worn off and you start thinking how nice it would be to just work on a computer in an office with adults, and how much would that paralegal program cost? But please know that it’s a phase – this too shall pass – and in a few more weeks the valley will pass and it will get better. You love this job, you love teaching teenagers, and you are very, very good at it – I promise you’ll remember soon.
Love,
An August Teacher
Ms. Brown Spanish 