To Someone I Wish I Could Meet.

Dear Esme Raji Codell,

You are my favorite. I am getting excited just thinking - literally - about re-reading your book "Educating Esme." Who cares that it would be my 5th or 6th time reading it? I laugh out loud every time. And every time I learn something new about teaching.

I would have paid MONEY to be your Student Teacher last spring.

When you roller-bladed down the hallway, with the crazy inventions outfit on?! Genius.
The Reading Time Machine?! Brilliant.
Your weekly class discussions about issues?! So smart for developing social skills.
Making the student teach that one day?! Gutsy.

I admire how you did what you knew would work for your students. You KNEW them. You learned from them just as much as you taught them. I love how you stood up to your ridiculous principal, how you describe the classroom decorations, and how you welcomed your students everyday: the word card, worries basket, and the pleasant greeting.

Inspirational. Seriously? Oh my gosh.

I would love to know more of your procedures. How did you make it all work? What did their parents think? Were you friends with other teachers at the school? How did you balance personal life with work? What is your favorite part of teaching?

I am a Special Ed teacher right now. I love my students. The other day, they noticed another student who has brain damage from a childhood incident. He spends some of the day riding a bike around the school to practice coordination and work his large muscles.. One student said, "Man, he gets to ride a bike IN SCHOOL because he's in Special Ed. I wish I was Special Ed!" It was all I could do not to laugh. How did you inspire students who were lower achieving? How did you get them to even care? That's my hardest part: keeping them from getting discouraged and angry that they are in Special Ed.

You're my teaching hero. Thanks for your hard work.

Melissa