A senior student email

This is a nice email I got from one of my last Anatomy students a couple of days ago, with name removed for privacy reasons:

Mr. Albin,
    I wanted to thank you for such a wonderful year. I really loved Anatomy and I can't wait until I am able to use it in the near future. Anatomy has made me more interested in medicine and helped me to decide to go pre-med. it also led to some very interesting discussions between my dad, who is a doctor and I! I'm also going to the Dominican Republic this summer to help out in their hospitals and throughout the villages with doctors so I hope to be able to use everything you have taught me there as well! I also want to praise your teaching style because it was a lot like a college class and I'm sure will benefit me in the next 4 years of college.

Lord, When WIll It Ever End?

Tiredness envelops and cloaks me. We have 2 more weeks of teaching before the blessed freedom of summer comes. I flog myself awake in the morning and wait for the coffee to do its magic one more time.

I got my schedule for next year but at this time I don't know if I will be able to keep my old room. I will be teaching a combination of Biology Honors and Anatomy/Physiology Honors. This means I will be getting a good group and it should be an enjoyable experience. This is my field and though I tried hard this year with the physical science class I never really felt comfortable with the subject. Biology and Anatomy are my true passions and I can put a lot of enthusiasm into those courses.

Cheryl

I was visited in the classroom today by Cheryl, a former student, and her friend. Cheryl brought me some bones she had found to use with my Anatomy kids.

In my life as a teacher there are a few bright spots and Cheryl is one of these. I have been fortunate to share several years of her life, watching her grow from a bubbly, energetic Biology student to a curious Anatomy student, to a bright, helpful student intern, and now to a beautiful and intelligent college student. Knowing that I had a small part in helping her grow is what being a teacher is all about. I am so very proud of Cheryl and am always delighted when she comes back to say hello and update me on her current life. I don't know what course Cheryl's life will take but I'm certain that whatever path she chooses, the world will be a better place for her humor, her curiosity, and her boundless enthusiasm for life. I hope she lives life so that at the end of it she looks back and has no major regrets. Above all, I hope she is happy.

The Skipper

I just found out today that one of my honors Anatomy students has not been coming to class the past two days. He is missing 2 tests from absences. I have been emailing the concerned father who said that this student would get with me about the tests. I offered to give them Monday and Tuesday but he didn't bother to appear. When asked where he was during class, the student told dad that he was working in the library. I did sign passes last week for this but since I haven't seen him this week I did not give him a library pass either day he was missing. They are not supposed to get into the library without a pass so I don't know if he forged my name on a pass or how exactly he got into the library (if he even went there). This is very odd behavior for an honors level student since they usually are paranoid about making up all missed work and are usually very honest. If he doesn't make up the work he will be the only honors student of mine this term who will fail.