So This Is Christmas, and What I Have Learned

Another term is finished. My students made it through the numerous writing assignments I've given, and I've made it through grading them. They've received their grades and their credit and will be moving on to the next class and, eventually, the next college. Yet somehow, I think I've received even more than they have.

I have found that many of my students open up to me in their writing. I think that some find the writing assignments for my class to be therapeutic for them. This is why I love teaching writing—I get to know and appreciate my students in a deeper way than teachers of other subjects aren't always able to.

This is particularly true of my students at Portland Community College, where I teach Writing 90, which is the first writing class many take. They're learning/relearning about correct sentences, paragraphs, and grammar, but they're also learning about themselves. And I'm learning right along with them—oftentimes lessons which really need to be learned, especially at Christmas.

When I am angry about having to clean up the house because we've got company coming, I remember my students who write about being homeless. When I groan about my kids not picking up after themselves, I remember my students who write about losing custody of theirs to exes. When I feel tied to the house due to some chore or another, I remember my students who write about being in jail due to drug or alcohol abuse. And when I feel like things just aren't going my way, I remember my students who write about trying to turn their own lives around and make better futures for themselves.

Thank you for my present, my students! Merry Christmas!