School Daze

I have no idea how this happened, but apparently it is almost time for school to start again.

This will be my fifth year working as a Spanish tutor, and so a lot of the students who started with me as freshman graduated last year. And as I think about them as they get ready to start college I have been wondering what, if anything, I managed to impress upon them as they begin to make their way out in the world.

As their tutor I covered a lot of areas with them-organization, study skills, how to get along with their teacher, etc., plus all the Spanish-specific topics.

But as I reflect back upon my time spent with them, I think the only thing I can in all honesty guarantee that stuck with them is this:

“By God, don’t you dare steal my pens!”

See, I am really weird about my pens. I only like this one kind called “Bic Crystal”. And I can only find them at the grocery store because, despite the fact that they are The. Best. Pens. Ever, they are apparently not “highfalutin” enough to be sold at actual office supply stores. So that means that if anyone else ever uses one of these pens, or thinks about using one, or even looks in the general direction of where I keep them in my office, I become terrified that all of my pens will disappear and I will never be able to find any more ever again. Because they are just that awesome.

So not only do my students NEVER steal my pens, but if they ever see any Bic Crystal pens anywhere else, like in their car or lying around their house, they IMMEDIATELY gather them all up and bring them to me. Because I have scared them that much.

I have apparently convinced them that I am the rightful owner of all Bic Crystal pens in the entire Universe. And woe be unto those who are discovered with any of my pens in their possession.

And lo, The Teacher looked out at everything she had made, and how she had successfully transferred her craziness to others, and she saw that it was very good.