Job Discussion Forums

[johnslat]

I got a pleasant surprise when I checked my e-mail this morning:

"Dear Prof. Slattery,

I hope this message finds you well.

My name is Adil A******* and I'm honored to be one of your students back in Saudi Arabia. You were my teacher at IPA's ESL center 10 years ago.

After my graduation, I worked in a hospital and I was visiting IPA from time to time to say hello. I was saddened to hear that you left IPA in 2003 and I didn't get the chance to get your email. I searched your name in the internet over the years and didn't have any luck until today.

I'm sure you don't remember me - my picture's attached - as you've been teaching thousands of students over the years, but you're one of the finest teachers I've ever had. I hope you and your family are doing great, and that you still have the pictures of "Wasta" town.

I live in Wisconsin since 2008 with my wife and my two-year-old daughter. I hope to hear from you soon and that we'll keep in touch whether by email or phone.

Thank you sir very much.

Best regards,
Adil"

Now THAT (plus the BIG BUCKS, of course) is what makes teaching so darn fulfilling. (But I guess I should have spent more time on punctuation and the present perfect tense ) Oh, the reference to "Wasta" town: One summer, just before we got married, my present wife and I took a road trip (if you can survive a road trip with your intended, the chances are good that your marriage will last - and it has, our 7th anniversary's coming up on Sept. 4th.) Anyway, we were traveling through South Dakota when I spotted a BIG sign "WELCOME TO WASTA."

http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/home/citiestowns/I90east/wasta

So, I said to my wife-to-be: STOP THE CAR!!!!! I took some photos of the sign, and then we went down the off-ramp into WASTA, where I took some more photos: of a bar (called THE WASTA BAR with a BIG sign in the window saying: BUDWEISER: COLD BEER HERE) and a church. When I went back to Riyadh, I had the photo of the bar enlarged and I hung it in my office. Whenever students would ask about it, I'd tell them. "Oh, that's just outside Riyadh, about ten miles into the desert."

Now, if I can only get this guy to stop calling me "Prof"

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

Isn't that sweet!! It is always fun to run into ex-students.

VS

[Insubordination]

Warms the cockles. You obviously made a difference in his life.