A Letter

To my future students,

There are a few things you should know about me. I love Carolina. I like Mountain Dew. I laugh hysterically when I’m really tired. I’m a Type A person – I like organization, structure, and cleanliness. I am deathly afraid of cockroaches. Really. I don’t believe in being politically correct, but I always expect courtesy, politeness, and respect.

But, the most important thing you should know about me is that I have high expectations. I set my standards high. I expect a lot from myself and I expect a lot from you. I know you can succeed and I know you have unlimited potential. I will not stand by and let you “get by” – it is simply unacceptable not to use your talents and gifts. You can do so much that I bet you could surprise yourself. As a minimum, I have two major expectations:

1. Act like a decent, respectable person.
You will treat others with respect. You will take care of your own and others’ belongings. Dress respectable. Apologize when you’re wrong. Have a firm handshake. Boys – don’t undress girls with your eyes – that is someone’s daughter, sister, and perhaps future wife. Girls – don’t lower your standards to include guys that you wouldn’t want your mom, sister, or future daughter to date. Be someone that makes you proud.

2. Do good work.
Do your work. Turn it in on time. Do it neatly. I expect you to make good grades. Failure is not an option. If you need help, I will be there. If you don’t ask for help, I’ll still bug you. I have high expectations, and I expect that you meet them. I want you to be proud of your accomplishments – especially when you work really hard for something.

We are going to learn for the sake of learning. It’s so much better that way. Even if you hate history, you might be able to use the information when you’re on Jeopardy one day – or maybe beat your friend at a board game (smile). Either way, we’re going to learn. History is just one big story with lots of characters and scenes and plot lines – I promise, it’s not that hard.

So that’s what you need to know about me from day one. Act like a decent, respectable person. Do good work. And (God forbid) if a cockroach finds its way into the classroom… please kill it.

With my love and loyalty,
Your future teacher