Today was different. Why? I had handwritten each of them a
card of appreciation “just because.” Each one of the 44 cards was written
specifically to the individual student. I had written them over the past week,
privately, secretly, purposefully. One by one, I stared at each student’s name
in my grade book, paused, and thought about all of the positive attributes they
brought to my class and the world.
Let me tell you, some were definitely harder to write than
others! However, I filled each card with heartfelt words; not one was cut
short.
“Your silly jokes always make me smile.”
“You are absolutely one of the most intelligent students
I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you for being such a hard worker.”
“When you walk into my room every Monday morning and ask me
how my weekend was, it makes my day.”
“Your card tricks always amaze me.”
“I appreciate your quiet strength.”
“You have the best laugh.”
“I love looking at your hunting pictures.”
“Thank you for sharing your Eskimo food with me.”
and on and on…
What a learning experience for me! The idea first occurred
to me when I saw an elementary teacher on Facebook who had done a similar thing
for her students. So, this summer when I was in the lower 48, in and out of
gift shops and craft stores, I started collecting packs of blank cards on
dollar racks.
Then, when I received a couple of requests from seniors to write
letters of recommendation for them for scholarship and college applications
last month, I realized that all of my students needed to hear the good things
that I would have to say about them.
The students’ responses were priceless. I handed out the
cards in the last five minutes of each class. They joked around, especially the
boys, when I first handed them out.
“What? No money! Five bucks, even?” laughter ensued.
Then, a quiet moved over the room like a warm blanket as
they were all drawn into their cards. The words made them smile as their eyes
passed over them. One by one, they looked up at me from the cards, wide-eyed
and grinning.
“Thank you, Ms. Kysar,” rang their happy voices, over and
over.
They know I love and appreciate each one of them. I pay
attention to them, individually. They are not just a name in my grade book.
They are my kids. Each one of these students is entrusted to me for 55 minutes
each day, 180 days each year for four very important years of their lives.
That’s huge, and I don’t take it lightly.
I may be hard on them, harder on some than others. They may
drive me absolutely crazy, at times, and I may look forward to escaping from
them for a weekend once in a while, but they are my kids, and that’s saying a
lot.
Suicide is something that has personally touched every
person I know in Unalakleet, adults and children alike. A freshman in a
neighboring village took his own life last year. I have students sitting in my
class who have fathers, brothers, and uncles who have committed suicide. I even
have students who have attempted suicide and survived. If I can do one small
thing, say one kind word to make someone feel valued in a way they didn’t feel
before, perhaps it will make a difference.
I’m a teacher. I’ve always seen myself as a teacher of
students first, a teacher of English second. That is not to say that I don’t
spend countless hours researching and creating lessons plans filled with
engaging ideas and academic rigor. I spend weekends grading papers, evenings
coaching Battle of the Books, lunches planning Student Council events. I bake
cupcakes for students who finish their papers early, send care packages to
college students, write letters of recommendation by candlelight while watching
the ice deepen on the river. I stress over classroom observations that attack
my teaching methods and question my every move, while giving me low grades
because of student behavior. I fight the bureaucratic red tape, sit on
curriculum review committees, attend inservices geared at elementary teachers,
and am constantly looking for ways to incorporate the local culture into my
lessons while keeping to the Alaska State Standards.
All of this aside, at the end of the day, these 44 souls
have been entrusted to me for a time, and I intend to make the most of it!
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