An Open Letter To My Co-operating Teacher From My Internship

Dear Co-op,

Although it's been over three years since I was in your classroom, there are still so many things for which I would like to say "thank you". First of all, thank you for making me a stronger person. I had no idea that I could endure four months of pure hell and come out alive on the other side. Those were the longest four months of my life and I was nearly dehydrated at the end, because of all the tears I cried. Did you know that I used to cry in the bathroom at recess? Did you know the reason I quit eating lunch in the staffroom was so I could drive to a gravel road outside of town and bawl my head off in private? Oh, that's right...you were too busy discussing the latest episode of "Lost" with your cliquey friends in the staffroom to even notice I was gone.

Thank you for your fashion critiques. It really showed that you cared about me when you would comment on my choice of daily clothing. And, I mean honestly, what was I thinking only buying a few staples that I could rotate through on a weekly basis when I had all that left over student loan money to go out and shop shop shop with? And thank you for pointing out to everyone in the staffroom that I wore jeans on Remembrance Day. Here's the irony (and since you had such a wicked sense of humour, I know you're just going to love it): I was so emotionally distraught by this time that I forgot it was Remembrance Day! You're lucky I even remembered to change out of my pajamas by that point.

Thank you for showing me the most important aspect of teaching - that it is more important what your fellow teachers and the students' parents think about you and your beautifully decorated bulletin boards and neatly stacked (and alphabetized!) bookcases than what your students think about you and what you are actually teaching them. Man, I was way off in believing the latter was more important so thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

Thank you for misjudging my shyness and hesitation as apathy and laziness. You have no idea how much that encouraged me to better myself when you would throw false accusations at me at 7:45 in the morning. On that same note, thank you for assuming that since both of my parents are teachers, that I would automatically know how to do everything. Here's a friendly little tip...if I knew how to do everything, the College of Education would have handed me a degree the first day I walked through their doors.

Thank you for the amazing letter of reference that you provided me with at the end of my internship. I had potential employers beating down my door after they read all four sentences that you wrote. I also find it pretty amazing you were able to write that many incredible things about me, given the awful ulcer you were dealing with at the time. I'm also thankful you felt we were good enough friends to share with me the fact that I gave you that ulcer. I'm just so pleased I could give such a personal gift that showed how I truly felt.

Lastly, thank you for scarring me for life for ever wanting to teach within the public system and I sincerely mean that. If I would have had an enjoyable internship and a wonderful experience, I would have applied with the public school division here in P.A. Had I done that, I never would have found my current job...the job that I was meant to do. A job where absolutely none of what you taught me is even remotely applicable. A job where earning and keeping your students' respect actually does matter. A job that I know you would never be able to handle. And so, I extend an invitation to you, my dearest co-op, to join me in my classroom for four months and we'll see what kind of shape you are in at the end. Don't worry though...I will give you just as glowing a recommendation as you gave me.

Sincerely,

Your BFF