Dear Denzel,

Since the first day of school, your raised hand, waiving impatiently back and forth in the middle of my lesson signaled that you were about to issue a complaint:

It’s hot in here, Miss!

I don’t feel like doin’ work today.

I’m bored.

I’m hungry. When do lunch start?

Truthfully, I had become so exasperated with your lethargic attitude that I thought you were completely tuning out my teaching.

Today you changed your attitude and my mind about calling on you. By refocusing all your energy from complaining, into searching the story for figurative language, you became a simile sleuth! Throughout class, I couldn’t help but smile to see your hand waving excitedly in the air, because I knew you weren’t going to ask about lunch but that you were prepared to share the meaning behind a metaphor.

And that was only the start of your awesomeness. When I made a mistake in the notes and switched the definitions of simile and metaphor, you did not suck your teeth, call out or argue. You set an amazing example for your classmates by silently raising your hand and waiting for me to call on you.

Thank you for saving me from teaching simile and metaphor incorrectly all day. I am proud of you, Simile Sleuth/ Metaphor Man!

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson