City College of San Francisco: The Students I Love

I used to say, quite truthfully, that if I could live anywhere in the world, I'd choose to live in San Francisco, and if I could teach anywhere in the world, I'd choose to teach at City College.  I still love both the city and the college.  Today, just a couple of days before I go back to campus, I want to focus on the students I love.

I am a dedicated, experienced teacher, but I'm not a popular one.  I think most students prefer the mainstream and the blockbuster teachers, and I'm a low-budget indie.  It wasn't always this way.  I remember semesters when my students would leave the classroom smiling and saying, "Good teacher!  Good teacher."  My son witnessed my entering my night classes to applause.  In non-credit, I taught both the lowest level and the highest (using Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie as well as Azar), and I received very positive feedback from students in both classes as well as flowers, cards, and birthday cakes). Even in credit I once (yes, only once) had a semester when the students told me that I was such a good teacher that I was "spoiling" them for any teachers who came after me, and I've been chosen by honor students as "the teacher who made the difference"  for that Who's Who in Education publication ploy.  But now I feel more like the failed professor in Terrance Rattingan's The Browning Version, so I'm grateful for students who help me feel the connection I once took for granted.

I'm not sure that anyone, anywhere reads this blog, but just in case someone, somewhere does, I'll respect the privacy of the students by not revealing their names.

One student who revealed while he was still in my class that he was undergoing a life-changing transformation is now in Culinary Arts, and a year after he finished my class, he invited me to come watch him cook at the Pierre Coste dining room when there was an Iron Chef competition.  He also let me know when he was scheduled to cook, and he said he created a vegetarian dish with me in mind.  His creativity and determination to follow what he loves really impress me.  He's won a couple of scholarships to help pay his tuition for the Culinary Arts Program.  He writes wonderful letters!

Another student impressed me by being very attentive to what was going on around him and always quietly kind and helpful.  He participated in our Save City College Human Billboard action, and when he went to the Earth Day Fair the Greencorps had on campus, he really paid attention to the information he got.  Two weeks after he first heard about the Beach Chalet soccer field controversy, he brought in an article on the topic from the San Francisco Examiner.  In addition to the reports he wrote on the the "extra curricular activities," he wrote an essay in which he lamented being an introvert, and because I thought his introspection and quiet manner were wonderful assets, not liabilities, I showed him a review of the book The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain.  He checked it out of the library and after he'd begun reading it, he told me after class, "This is about me."  (Later I sent him a copy of the book so he could have it after the library due date.)

A lovely older student was dealing with some health issues at the beginning of the semester, but she was really gracious about making up the work.  Beside taking responsibility for this, she seemed to care about me and the extra work I was doing to help her catch up.  Some students take this for granted, so I'm always impressed by students who even when ill are aware that other people have needs too.  She was equally kind to her classmates--a really lovely, caring person.

I'm still in touch with a student who's now at San Francisco State University and shares her thoughts with me from time to time about what she's reading and studying.  Besides being impressed by her intelligence and insight, I admire her dedication to helping literacy students.

I'm running out of time on this Sunday morning, but I want to write about other students who make teaching rewarding and interesting at this very difficult time for City College and, in some ways, for me.