He Made a Difference

Today's Ethical ELA prompt asked us to select a formative literacy memory. 

I started to write about students having that "ahha" moment of flight as they took off as readers.  Then I drafted a short post about decorating my first writer's notebook during a summer teacher workshop.  But, this still painful memory of learning to be a writer as a member of the Baby Boom generation kept surfacing, and I went with it. 

We packed into classrooms like sardines into tins,

Learned to listen and regurgitate information, ideas.

Endured multiple choice, one word responses.

We discussed an unpopular war,

Analyzed classic, modern literature

Graded by multiple choice, one word responses.

I was on top of the pile of students

Until in that first English Literature paper

Covered in red, emblazoned with See Me.

I swallowed my pride,

Wandered into the TA's office

Learned to write college-level responses.

In my defense, I had written only in a journal, 

Never defended my thoughts for a grade,

Never learned to be a writer. 

In his defense, he could have just written me off

Let me fail,

But, he was a teacher who made a difference.