college
End of the Semester Evaluations – of Me!
At the end of the semester, I always ask students to give me anonymous feedback about my course, my syllabus, and the goofy woman they have been staring at for nearly 400 hours….
The Day Monsieur Said Non
In 11th grade, I needed three stellar recommendations that I could send off with my college applications. I felt confident that I would receive solid letters from two of my former English teachers, but then I was kinda stuck. I decided to ask my French teacher. He said no….
Teacher Appreciation Day: A Wee Confession
To date, I have never received a single gift from any of my community college students. Let me be clear: I do not want a candy-filled mug that with the words “#1 Teacher” stenciled on the side, nor am I secretly pining for a t-shirt that declares I am the “World’s Greatest Teacher.” I do not mean to imply that my students are unappreciative people because that is simply not the case. I would, however, like to suggest that in this age of the all-too-convenient reckless communication that comes in the form of email and texting and IMing – a short but sincere, handwritten note expressing appreciation is truly the greatest gift a student can give a teacher. Ask any teacher and I’ll bet he or she will tell you the same thing….