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23 January 2003 - 6:59 PM I had the best day in the world. For my final I am having my kids do a paper in which they evaluate their progress in the class and give me feedback about the class (what they want to do differently, etc.) The most important question I ask them is whether they feel I treat them with respect. Well, that sparked so many of them to say the NICEST things I have ever heard. I could not believe how sweet, generous, and heartfelt their responses were. Some of them even made me tear up! I am such a sap, I know. Even the few kids that I dreaded reading (because I thought they were going to tear me and my class to shreds) didn't write too harshly. I felt on top of the world all day because of the feedback that I got. Many said that they did not like reading before my class and now they like it. Others said different things that I have done to help them enjoy/understand literature. I was struck the most by many of my freshmen and their responses. Just about all of them said that I treat everyone in there with respect and equality, and that I listen to and care about their opinions. One girl is older and doesn't have to take the class next semester and she said she is thinking about staying in it anyway because she has had such a good time and learned so much. That, of course, was the one that made me tear up. And my personal favorite letter was from a girl I had written in here about earlier, because she was rude to me a lot (it has gotten better). She said something like, "I do think you treat me with so much respect, and I appreciate that about you. Sometimes I can be the biggest snatch and I am sorry about treating you that way." Whoever thought that I would read the word snatch on an English essay? I just cracked up when I read it. I am grading these for test work samples so I was like, "Hmmm, should I pass her under the word choice category ('language is appropriate for audience and purpose')?" These students!
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