Another term ends. No chocolates, yet. But, ain't complaining!

As we head towards the end of a term, I typically begin to scan through the assignments the way I would rush through the New Yorker magazine--scan the last page first.  I check the end of the assignments first because that is where, if at all, students tend to include sentences that make me all excited, pumped up, and feeling re-assured that it is all worth it.

That is exactly what I did earlier this morning and I struck gold; the following was the final paragraph in one of them:

This class has been really different for me.  Most of my classes tell me to read the book, do the homework, then [throw up] what I memorized onto a test. This class was more about what I thought.  It was designed to make me ask questions in order to find the answers. I was never given a straight yes or no answer in this class and that make me think more and work harder to learn what I needed to do.  It was really a fun class for me. I really enjoyed all of the articles we were assigned to read.  I hope I get more classes like this in the future.

What is even more wonderful about this note is that it came from a student who always sat with such a poker face that I would never, ever, have guessed that these thoughts would have been running through that student's mind.  I don't think the student even smiled at my awful groaners during of our class meetings ;)

With no other paper having anything special in the final pages, I went about reading them all from the first page.  Most were to the point, addressing the task that I had assigned.  And then in the middle of one was this gem:

Also, your articles were so cool, educational, and interesting that after most of each reading I told anyone who was next to me about the reading starting with this question, "Do you know what is happening in the world?, you know that ..."  Even to my crew workers at work. Thank you so much for all your articles! I know this looks more like a letter but I really enjoyed your class.

Doesn't matter anymore if nobody brings me chocolates; I am full already with those sweet words.