This is a letter that I wrote and gave to my Anatomy and Physiology instructor after an outstanding quarter with him. I asked his permission to post the letter on my blog and he agreed to it wholeheartedly. “It is about time people start seeing what the future of teaching is.”
Education is a fickle beast in our society. It is an absolute necessity, period. Whether we learn through hands-on experience, in a classroom, or through our own trial and error, we, as human beings, would not be able to carry our world as we do without education. However, it is so fundamental, so basic that many seem to overlook its importance. Unless one is actively involved in the system, it just gets wrapped into the big blanket of things that have to be done, like laundry and grocery shopping. This, I believe, is a contributing factor to the decreasing funds and support for schools.
Then of course, within the schools there are the instructors. Through my experience as a student, I have clumped them into three categories. There are those who are safe, the tenured staff who essentially have free reign and are untouchable. To rid a school of a tenured teacher in the state of New York, there are dozens, if not over one hundred steps to take before they are dismissed. Sometimes these teachers are great, but most of the time I have been overwhelmingly disappointed by them. Then there are the decent/ok instructors. They convey (or attempt to) the material, give exams, maybe have students give a presentation or a complete a report for variety. I call these “the shovelers.” There isn’t really any passion in what they do. They might get excited about a favorite chapter or unit, but the energy just overall isn’t quite where it needs to be. There also is a sense of urgency to cover enough material, to stick to the syllabus whether the material is actually learned or not. Then there are the greats. The exceptionals. The instructors that can make your least favorite subject the one you look forward to the most.
Last quarter I struggled with Anatomy. It was challenging for me because I didn’t walk away from lectures with anything. I learned nothing from my instructor. If you were to ask me about the lectures, I would pull a blank. I was anxious about this quarter when I came to class the first day. I had heard you lecturing in the hall before and knew that you like to call on people randomly (something that makes me ridiculously nervous), and had a very intense style. Looking back now, I can say that every day in class has been a comedy show, extraordinarily memorable, and I learned so much. It still astounds me how much I have retained just from lectures. You are one of the exceptionals.
I have always felt so comfortable in class. Yes, when you start calling on people randomly my heart starts pounding a little harder. Aside from the occasional myocardial infarction, I’ve never felt more at home in a classroom. I’ve never felt that I have to let on that I’m studying more than I actually am, never have felt the need to make my knowledge base seem larger than it really is; I have been able to be myself. If I don’t understand something or know the answer, I don’t feel ashamed to say that I don’t know. Which, by the way, is something that has never happened for me before in a classroom. You have allowed your students to feel, and be, human. And largely it’s because you allow yourself to be human before us.
Most importantly you understand learning. You understand that there comes a time when the brain cannot absorb any more. You respect the need to take mental breaks. You help distract us from the intensity of an upper level summer quarter science class. You have helped us learn to utilize our time and our minds more efficiently. You take the time to get to know your students. You absolutely go above and beyond for us. Getting our tests back to us within half an hour of turning them in? Never have I ever had another teacher who does that! Letting us go back over a test and redeem points so that we actually learn the material? So unheard of! The good and tenured teachers would just add a curve to raise grades. But that’s just the difference. You’re not in it to create grades. You’re in it to create a foundation that we can later translate to wisdom.
You are the individual that moves mankind forward in strides. Your undying devotion, passion, and livelihood drive your students to excellence. And excellence in our desired field has such an intense payoff for the greater good of humanity. Words fail to express the gratitude I wish I could express for all that you do. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from you these seven weeks. I have learned so much, and not just in our subject either. Thank you for sparking my thoughts, my learning, and my desire to go do. I hope our paths cross again in the future, and may life provide you with precisely what you need.
handwritten notes 