I gave my students an assignment to write an introduction that starts out, “I’m the kind of kid who…” They did such an amazing job of putting their hearts on paper! I was so touched that they would feel safe enough to bare their souls like that. Toward the end of the presentations, someone called out, “We want to hear yours, Mrs. Hansen.” So I decided to write my own introduction and read it to them. I’m pretty proud of it. Here it is:
I’m the kind of teacher who is living out a dream. From the time I was very small I only wanted two things: to be a mom and a teacher. As a teenager I forced the kids I babysat to play school -until their mom called to tell me that I was the only one who thought that was fun. But I couldn’t help it because I’m the kind of teacher who is living out a dream.
I’m the kind of teacher who remembers what it’s like to be in junior high. The memories are so close to the surface! I still smile when I remember my first awkward kiss, dances in the “cafetorium,” singing in the talent show, and hearing my English teacher recite “O Captain, My Captain.” I cringe a little, too, when I recall that dramatic breakup, the day I stabbed my crush in math class, the mean girls who tore me down, and the tears I allowed myself to cry because of their ugly words. It’s not all good, and it’s not all bad, but it made me who I am – and I’m the kind of teacher who remembers what it’s like to be in junior high.
I’m the kind of teacher who wishes for a magic wand. I want to magically take away the pain I see in my students’ eyes. No more boys with freckles and glasses hiding their bruises with long sleeves, yet writing quiet pleas for help in their journals. No more beautiful girls who look in the mirror and see monsters, then starve themselves to try and look like the fake girls in those poisonous magazines. No more tall, messy-haired boys who try to hide their growling stomachs because they never get enough to eat and the fridge is empty at home. No more soft-spoken, sweet-hearted girls who have so much love to give, yet feel like shadows that nobody sees. No more brown-eyed boys who wear holey shoes and pants three sizes too big and spend all their time in their rooms because nobody shows them love. No more girls with low self-esteem who tear others down to make themselves feel better. I see all these kids. I love ALL these kids. My heart breaks for each of them because I’m the kind of teacher who wishes for a magic wand.
I’m the kind of teacher who knows about real power. I have seen the power of a simple smile to change a moment, a day, a life. I have seen the amazing power of words – words that can do as much harm as guns and as much good as medicine. I have seen the awesome power of time as it not only “heals all wounds” but also turns caterpillars into butterflies and coal into diamonds. I have felt the unstoppable power of a strong will – a will that says, “No matter how dark today is, I’ll keep going because tomorrow will be better.” I see the unlimited power within each one of my students. They hold the future in their hands and they WILL make this world a better place just because they exist. And I know how important each one of them is because I’m the kind of teacher who knows about real power.
Postcards from Mosquitoville 