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At the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, the graduate representative reported on the results of some conversations she had with current students. One of her questions for them was which class they found the most compelling. She shared the results, naming three courses in particular, by name, as strong student favorites.
The professors who typically teach those classes weren’t there, but I was able to catch two of them in person on campus Wednesday and pass along the news. (I emailed the third.) They seemed genuinely thrilled to have been chosen by their students as favorites.
I mention this in hopes that some students (or former students) reading this might take a moment to let a favorite former professor or teacher know how important they were to you. It doesn’t have to be long or florid; just a quick word of genuine appreciation can make a real difference.
I can think of a couple in my own life. My ninth-grade English teacher, whom I’ve mentioned a few times, was a game-changer. She believed that you learn to write by writing a lot. Some would say I’ve internalized that lesson. About 15 years ago I emailed her -- still at the same school! -- to let her know how grateful I was for how much she made me work. Just sending the email felt great. I was tickled when she responded a week or so later, saying that she remembered my handwriting. (It was a different time.)
In college, I remember the first professor who treated me as a smart person. I was a sophomore, and it was a class on religion and politics. Somehow that class clicked for me, and I remember noticing at one point in the semester that in discussions, I was taken seriously. That was a new experience, and one that helped tamp down my raging case of impostor syndrome.
I still remember being on the receiving end of an email like that. An adult student I had taught at DeVry had tracked me down at CCM and wrote a generous and kind note thanking me for recognizing something in him that he didn’t recognize in himself. That was over 10 years ago, and I still remember it (and him). His talent wasn’t hard to recognize, but sometimes it’s hard to be objective about yourself.
Even a quick note can make a real difference. Putting a little bit of positive energy out there can’t hurt, and it can make a professor’s day. In the age of email, you don’t even need a stamp.
Thanks.
