ABCs and 123s

So, I recently returned to teaching ESL after an extended 7 year break away from it.

I spoke this evening with a gentleman who had initially gotten me my early ESL jobs, almost a decade ago. Back then, I primarily taught high school kids from Taiwan who needed assistance with English.

I just found out that two of my earliest students, one just graduated with a Masters degree in Physics, and the other just graduated with honours in Engineering. How cool is that shit?

The one who just graduated with the honours, I remember getting him into writing. He wasn't interested at all, at first. Getting him to write me a full page was as fun as pulling teeth, really. Somehow, somewhere, some way, I managed to flick a switch in him and he realized that writing creatively was fun.

Next thing you know, I was getting seven-page tales written about dragon-slaying and shit like that. I thought it was cool then, but knowing now that he's graduated with honours just blows me away. I know that I helped him get there, and that's pretty wicked for this non-University educated gal.

(I have a lowly college degree, since I've always hated institutions. Had I it all to do over again, I'd love to do university via living on campus. But I didn't, and that's how it goes. I should've listened to my mother when she told me at 17 that one of her biggest regrets was never having gone to university, and never having lived on campus. Listen to your folks, kids.)

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And apparently all my new students this week have told the dude who referred me to them that they "love" me. Yay!

I am teacher. Hear me roar.