Category Archives: photography

Dear Shantel

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Shantel,

You ACED your midterm! With one of the highest grades on the exam and an exemplary character growth report for the month of December, you have earned a place in my Hall of Fame for the first semester.

I remember greeting a sleepy-eyed, grumpy-faced Shantel for the first two months of school.

Me: “Good morning, Shantel!”

You: “Bad morning, Miss. Everything’s bad.”

Around October, when you decided you could trust me, our conversations started to sound more like:

Me: “Good morning, Shantel!”

You: “Morning, Mama. When you gonna adopt me already?”

While I’m not planning on adopting a 12-year-old anytime soon, you have adopted a better attitude, and I’m so proud to be your teacher.

Welcome to the hall of fame, my dear! I always knew you could do it.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Jalissa

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Jalissa,

Are you safe and warm this Christmas Eve? I heard on the news that the shelters around South Dallas are especially full this week. I pray that you and your family have found a place to be together and that you are not hungry tonight.

It feels strange for me to wish you a Merry Christmas. So, I will wish you peace in the midst of uncertainty, pain and loss. I pray for a bed to sleep in, a warm meal to eat and a sense of security tonight. And most of all, I wish you a hopeful Christmas season.

Hold fast to the belief that one day you will have a place to call home again.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Beatrisa

Posted on by under education, humor, photography

education, photography

Dear Beatrisa,

It’s day three of winter break, and I’m grading midterms. As I’m working, all I can hear over and over in my head is your refrain during the test:

“Koala, koala, koala.”

I could not, for the life of me, figure out why you were repeatedly chanting about a marsupial under your breath during the Language Arts test. Exasperated, I threatened to take up your exam if you continued to be a distraction to your class.

Without missing a beat, you looked up at me and said, “but Miss, all these questions are about a koala, and there isn’t a koala story in our whole packet.”

Mortified, I flipped through your test and discovered that you were right. The test had miscopied. Your diligent reading and insistent chanting saved the day. I was able to recopy the test and avoid a major disaster on the midterm.

Even though we had to sacrifice my sanity to get there, thank you for saving the exam. I owe you one!

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Miguel

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Miguel,

I’ve watched you silently absorb into Shaun, Keenan and Davian’s group. You never seem to instigate trouble, but you are often caught with the consequences of following that crowd.

Please be careful over winter break.

Life is a series of choices, and if you continue to passively follow others down this often dangerous path, you could find yourself in serious trouble.

What strikes me as different about you is the way you respond to consequences. Today, when all four of you were placed in detention instead of the Christmas party, you were the only one who did not argue, complain or shut down. You accepted your situation, as if you knew that your actions earned the consequence for skipping math class on the last day of school before break. That tells me you do know the difference between right and wrong.

It’s time for you to step up. Stand your ground on issues you don’t want to be a part of. Be strong enough to walk away and refuse to be part of the crowd that makes dangerous decisions over the break.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Marques

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Marques,

Nothing but courage stands in the way of passing your midterm. You know the material. When I pose a question in class, your hand shoots up in the air, and that jolly grin I’ve come to know and love stretches across your face.

But I watch as a paper test is set in front of you – the same questions, multiple choice answers – and your confidence fades. Your test average in my class is a 42. If I could grade you on oral answers during my lesson, you would have an A average.

We’ve been working on strategies to deconstruct the test. You have the tools you need. All that’s left is for you to believe in yourself.

Breathe. Read the question. Cover up the answer choices. Write a response in your own words in the margins. Search the text for evidence to prove your answer. Then look at the multiple-choice options to pick the best of what they have provided.

Breathe again. You are smarter than the test. I believe in you! I need you to believe in you so that you can show yourself, your parents and your community how brilliant you are.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Jada

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Jada,

Please don’t be embarrassed that you are hungry. I am so grateful you opened up to me in your letter. You’re right; your behavior has been irrational lately. Now I know why.

I can’t give you any cash for food. But if you look under the plant on my desk on your way out of class today, you will find an envelop with several important papers inside. The yellow sheet explains that your meal account balance has been paid, and you have enough credit now for lunch and breakfast this week.

I talked to Ms. Johnson about how to connect your mom with a program that will provide food every day that you are not in school over winter break. I know how hard your mom is working to provide for you, your brothers and your sisters. I also know this time of year is expensive, and our community has a program for families who are in a tough spot financially.

You have nothing to apologize for and nothing to be embarrassed about. As much as possible, I want you to focus on preparing for your midterms. Trust that the adults in your life are working together to make sure this winter break will be different.

You will not go hungry.

All my love,

Ms. Jackson