Tag Archives: education

Dear Keandra

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Keandra,

They are wrong.

Ugly is not your reflection in the mirror but a reflection of their character.

Ugly is on the inside, festering under their skin.

They are wrong, and they are bullying you.

“Horse Face,” Mark Milligan smirked as he slid into the seat next to me on the first day of seventh grade. “We’ll call the new girl Horse Face!”

Everyone got a good laugh except for the apparently long-nosed, big teethed girl sitting in my desk. His words, foolish and mean-spirited, drew enormous, hot tears from my equine eyes.

More than a decade has passed since that traumatic first day of seventh grade, and yet I’m still a little insecure about whether my face actually does favor, of all creatures, a horse.

Ugly, ugly, ugly. It’s time for a realignment of the way we talk about what counts as ugly. Faces and braces, frizzy hairs and gawking stares, vicious lies and teary eyes. We have to stop tearing each other down and confront our own insecurities deep within.

That’s why those girls are saying mean things about you. You know that, right? They’re insecure, so they say something ugly before someone else can call them the very words they’re using to put you down.

It will get better. I have already met with the girls and their parents. Insecure or not, there is no excuse for the way they are treating you, and it has been made clear exactly what their consequences will be if they continue to bully you.

They are wrong about you. You are full of beauty and strength. Keep your chin up. They don’t deserve to get you down.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Randall

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Randall,

Sometimes, a secret to life presents itself over a sticky menu at a hamburger joint.

“Do you want sweet potato fries or regular fries?” the heavily-tattooed waiter asked patiently, as my mom puzzled over her choice.

“Um… Sweet potato! No, I think I want regular… Oh, I don’t know!” she sighed in exasperation.

The waiter’s beard curled into a smile, as he said six words that have become a Jackson family motto:

“Don’t fake who you really are.”

Suddenly mom’s choice was easy. In the end, she didn’t really want fancy fries; she wanted regular, salty, delicious French fries. She realized she was tempted to order sweet potato fries because they were trendy.

Most of the time we are faced with decisions that are more complicated than what type of side to order with our hamburgers. But the wise words of our waiter still ring true. If you know who you are, you can make decisions that you are proud of and that you won’t regret.

It’s a new year. You have a blank slate and a fresh start. Beginning today, you get to decide what you will be known for.

Who are you, really?

Are you the kid who storms out of class when he doesn’t get his way? Or is that how you fake who you really are, as you try to cover the pain of burying your brother a month before his fifteenth birthday?

Will you chose to continue to act like you don’t care about failing grades and daily phone calls to mom? Or will you be the young man I’ve seen glimpses of – the brilliant, kind and courageous Randall?

I have believed in you long before you believed in you. And I’m not finished holding on to hope. On this first day back to school, I want to challenge you to be the best version of yourself.

Who will you be? What will you do? What will people remember about you?

No one can choose for you, but you are not alone. I’m here to support and encourage you into becoming the man you and I both know that you can be.

From sweet potatoes to salty French fries, whether it’s a little decision or a big one, don’t fake who you really are, and don’t forget that I believe in you.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Tyrek

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Tyrek,

I saw a young man just a few years older than you on the news last night. According to the judge at his trial, this man made a series of devastating and cruel decisions. The jury has decided he should lose his life for the crimes he committed.

This young man awaiting his fate on death row has your same first and last name.

When the story started on the news, I heard your name and gasped. The thought that any of my students could be on the news in such a capacity horrified me.

I want to open up the newspaper and see your name on the A/B honor roll and a photo of you sinking the game-winning basket against Lariat Prep next week. Stay on the straight path, and make us proud. Unstructured time can open up tempting possibilities. Please be safe and smart during your last week of winter break.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

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 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 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