I hope that I've told you at some point in the past that I am a teacher. I have, in fact, been teaching since 1984!--21 years, and I'm no where near burnt out by it. Every day just seems to jazz me more and more.
And some days provide wonderful surprises. Like yesterday: standing in the hallway, greeting my students as they arrived....and a little boy approached me and thrust a bulging envelope into my hand. I recognized that he is the younger brother of a former student. I taught A. back in 2003/04. I opened the envelope only to discover a holiday gift and well wishes. It was a gift card to Barnes & Nobles for $25.00. Very generous by any standards, but unheard of from a former student two years removed!
A. is an amazing young man. Very well versed and profoundly analytical in his mental capacities. While conducting an experiment with meal worms, a classmate of his inquired of me whether her specimen was a "boy" or "girl" mealworm for the purposes of naming them accurately. I explained to her that the animal was in a phase of their life cycle where they did not have a gender.
A. responded to the conversation by asking, "So they're hermaphrodites?" And I responded that they weren't because they possessed no gender, while hermaphrodites were born with aspects of both. He persued the conversation, and I suggested that he take it up with his parents, to which he replied, "Oh, I've asked my dad, but he's a doctor, and he doesn't know anything!"
Later, his dad and I discussed this interchange with great humor and sympathy.
The family is Iranian; and I have taught children whose parents come from every corner of the planet, but none are as wonderful as Iranians. So tender and supportive of their children, and SO supportive of us teachers. Guess I shouldn't have been surprised by A.'s gift.....
May something gracious surprise you this holiday season! Merry Christmas.
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