The strangest but most gratifying ‘Thank You’ card I ever received by Deb Jess

Teaching runs in my family. After several decades in corrections, my father returned to grad school to earn his Master’s degree and now teaches theme-based writing to college freshman. My mother, in addition to teaching me many important things about life in general, spent several years as a CCD instructor. (Despite years of attending CCD classes on Saturday mornings, I still don’t know what “CCD” stands for.) My brother currently teaches high school English in West Chicago, my sister teaches art at a Boys and Girls Club in Milwaukee, and when I was in college, I worked for nine months in a local prison as a teaching assistant with special ed inmates between the ages of 16 and 21. (I know, I know. It almost sounds like the set-up to a joke.) After I left I was touched to receive, by way of the fantastic teacher I worked with, a Thank You card signed by a number of these incarcerated students. I thought you might enjoy reading a few of their verbatim messages (and might I add, their penmanship–for the most part–kicks the snot out of mine):

“Ms. M (my maiden name): Stay in college and don’t quit school. We really apprecieate your help. We wish you could have stayed longer. Have a nice life. O___.”

(Isn’t that thoughtful? I wasn’t really considering quitting school at the time, given that it was my final semester, but this note sent me into an existential tailspin; thanks to O’s words of encouragement, I stuck with it.)

“Ms M: You was a kind person to take your time for given us a little knowledge that you had, that we didn’t have. Have a wonderful life. L___.”

(I should have more strongly emphasized subject-verb agreement in class. Dammit.)

“Ms. M: Hi How are you going? Take care and a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Peace, A____, aka Tae-Rock. ‘Remember’ that.”

(Yes Tae-Rock, a mind is definitely a terrible thing to waste. And I’ll certainly remember it.)

“Thank you, Miss M, for helping my Teacher Miss G and we is going to miss you. Your friend T_____”

(Again, subject-verb agreement. You drill and drill and drill and somehow it just doesn’t sink in.)

“Miss M, Thank you for being there for us helping us accomplish some work I wish you luck and hope you achieve what you are going to school for take care and stay strong. Your friend, R____”

(This was actually the second message encouraging me to “Stay strong.” These inmates must be on to something, I thought, so I began a weight-training program that summer that gave me the most sculpted shoulders of my life.)

“Dear Ms. M this is I____ writing to you for Thanks. Because you helped me a whole lot with the things I am going to need in life and you pushed for me to get my H.S.E.D. and not a lot of people would do that. thanks a lot for your support and care. I hope everything works out for the best for you. The world needs more people that cares. good luck … and take care. I____”

(Okay, this one actually made me a little teary-eyed, until I saw the poor subject-verb agreement again. I wish I could remember what he was in for; I think it was a weapons-related charge.)

It’s funny–I usually don’t get this kind of appreciation from people who haven’t been charged with a crime. Working with that population was challenging but incredibly rewarding. It also inspired the concept for my next book, and as I write it, I find myself frequently wondering what happened to my former inmate students. I really hope some of them made it.