// email i just got from a student//

harrietsdaughter:

latinosexuality:

Hello professor

 Question, Are you taking points off for any grammar mistake?

 As you noticed in the past classes, English is my second language and
it has been tough for me
 to learn the language and be able to express myself.

However, I believe that I am doing ok. My concern is that I do have
very personal experiences written in the paper that I don;t want to
share with anybody else except you. I am doing my best in avoiding
mayor mistake, but I am concern that if you take points off I will
have to go to the writing center.

 Let me know please
 See you tomorrow

and you best believe i told them to write that paper however they were most comfortable and i would NOT take off points for grammar at ALL and that even my spelling is bad and they communicates so well in class i’m looking forward to reading his paper. i signed it w/my first name and the student still called me prof. last name. 

as someone who was kicked out of higher ed b/c she was told her writing wasnt “good enough” by other POCs, WOC to be exact, i know how this feels. 

the honor each of my students give me when they really put themselves in their work and assignments and what they are willing to share and comfortable sharing w/me is humbling. i know folks diss the academy, and i know i have tons of problems w/it too, but i also know that our community and our students NEED to see themselves reflected in their classrooms at all levels. that when our students find someone they are comfortable with, who they trust in challenging them, that is what un/learning is about. that is what producing and creating knowledge is about. it’s not about a grade. (and i fucking hate grading). this is more than a grade, more than school, this is about us, affirmations, survival, reclaiming social capital, and valuing ourselves. this is why i do the work i do b/c i know there are other prof that would mark this student down when they are doing really hard introspective work and to me that’s what learning is about. that hard work we do quietly, together.

YES!! yes yes yes I cosign with all of this. More than a grade, more than school. Grading takes forever because I am really trying to think about each student … where they are and where I hope they can go. Honoring who they already are. Trying not to lose my job in the process.

You are everything

(via allimmaturityandallcaps)