Imaginary letters

Letters background

I wrote an email to some of my students that I used to teach 10 years ago, to invite them to a teacher student reunion. I  was able to get their email address from some of their friends that I kept in touch with through the years. This is the reply I got from each of my students

Student A

Dear Ms X

I was so glad to hear from you. It has been a long time and I couldn’t believe it when I saw your name. I still remember the first day of your class when you came in and told us that math is beautiful and that you are here to show us its beauty. That sentence was stuck in my mind the rest of my high school years. I did realize what you meant through time. I actually majored in mathematics and now I am working on my Phd in mathematics education.  I feel that my passion for mathematics is due Ito being once a student in your classroom.

Yours sincerely

A

Student B

Hi Ms X

When I first got your email I did not actually recognized who you were until I read the content. It has been a long time, you know. I will do my best to attend the get together but I am worried that seeing everybody would bring bad memories.

My parents had to move at the end of that school year and I had to change school so I haven’t kept in touch with so many people.

I know you are wondering about the bad memories and I want to be honest with you because this is something I wanted to tell you for a long time. I hated your class and your teaching had a very negative effect on me learning of mathematics that year. I thought that you presented math in a very arrogant way. You were so sure about your positive attitude towards the subject and were so sure about changing our attitudes. You did not understand that not every student could see math the way you see it and we are different individuals coming with different needs and interests. You were too self-centered to realize that.

I know that you were a new teacher with a big enthusiasm to teaching but I hope that through the years you’ve come down to earth and have become more realistic.

Good luck

B