It honestly just blows my mind that we’ve come so far, so fast.
Occasionally at this point in the year, students tend to leave tokens of their appreciation,1 sometimes in writing, sometimes in drawings, and sometimes sprawling all up over my whiteboards. Here are some of the more memorable end-of-year mémoires2that I’ve managed to capture over the first seven-and-a-half:
Season One (2007-08) – Just call me… what??Seriously? Is this what they think I look like?!? Never mind the fact that this kid drew me on her best friend’s HAND. Those eyes, though…Season Two (2008-09) – I guess this is when I started grading a little harder. Like, -5000 points harder, apparently.Hey, look! I have eyes! =)Season Three (2009-10) – I guess she’s not going to Paris? This is about the time that kids started saying that my Pre-AP Algebra II class “destroys kids’ dreams” lolIn the midst of chaos and monsters and missiles, I sip calmly on my coffee, and mutter, “who wants cookies?”During Season Two, a student brought in a class pet – a betta that we named “Foci” (yes, the plural of “focus”, as in focal points). He lasted until sometime during the first half of season three (upper-right… apparently it is not only kids’ dreams that I kill…). One of my Geometry students then thought it might be nice to replace him with a different fish (bottom). As you can see, that sucker was BIG. So big that he jumped out of the tiny pond twice during 2nd period. In the end the kid’s mom had to come pick up the fish and take him to a better place…Because I’m fun (or old?). Like a dinosaur. And I carry a mean calculator. Like a TI 99.6…?!Season Four (2010-11). Courtesy of one of my Precal students, who would go on to have me for 3 consecutive years. Quadratics, though? Really? We tackled much worse things that year =) That hair, though…Season Five (2011-12). “Oh wait… take my animal crackers” LOLClever. =) Did you catch the YOUNicorn on the lower-left?Season Six (2012-13) – “Real talk: Sorry I called you Satan.” =) [yes, this kid literally did call me Satan]Season Seven (2013-14) – Hey, any high school math teacher will tell you – this is a serious win!Season Five (2011-12).
![Season Six (2012-13) - "Real talk: Sorry I called you Satan." =) [yes, this kid actually did call me Satan]](http://www.brianyoun.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/image26.jpg)
