A
ave_turuta
Guest
S. was a student of mine during the fall semester of 2004. She would always come to class with her skateboard, decorated with a bunch of stickers and graffitti (she was, after all, a California girl). I remember her being very quiet, yet always listening carefully to what everybody had to say during discussion sections. Then she failed her midterm examination. I was so surprised that I decided to have a talk with her after class, and then she told me that the other students made her feel inadequate and intimidated, and that she was very shy and did not feel comfortable participating in discussions. Thus, she said, she was going to quit the class. I told her that I thought she had the potential to learn a lot in this class, that her contributions were always welcome, and that in no way should she feel intimidated by what other students in the class said (everybody thnks they know it all, I said; that's not necessarily true in most of the cases,though!). I then told her to take a break, enjoy her art and her photography, go skate, and relax. The next day she sent me the most touching e-mail I have ever received from a student, saying: "Thank you for talking to me yesterday. It's nice to know that I am something more than a number to grade in a class filled with people." From then on, she participated in every discussion, and became a beautiful addition to each and every class we held.
Recently I learnt that S. died some days ago in a car accident in India. She had gone there to teach underprivileged children to read and write. As my heart sank into despair, I thought of her beautiful art, her broad smile, and the many things she had taught me (her instructor) during that semester. Thank you S. for allowing me to learn from you and receive the present of your company for as long as you were in my class.
Rest in peace.
Recently I learnt that S. died some days ago in a car accident in India. She had gone there to teach underprivileged children to read and write. As my heart sank into despair, I thought of her beautiful art, her broad smile, and the many things she had taught me (her instructor) during that semester. Thank you S. for allowing me to learn from you and receive the present of your company for as long as you were in my class.
Rest in peace.
