Dear ex classmates,
I don't know if this will reach the right people, but I hope that it does somehow. I was the nurse's daughter, that weird girl that turned quiet, then by 10th grade, disappeared. I was bullied from elementary to 9th grade. I was angry and held a grudge at all you for most of my life. I'm now 23, and am ready to forgive. I understand we were just kids, I understand that any of you could of been going to a rough time and lashed out. I forgive all of you now, for my own healing, and for you as well. I hope that all of you are doing well and achieving your goals in life, especially during these difficult times.
Education
Dear Guy Who Yells,
I’m going to guess that you don’t remember me, but I definitely remember you. We crossed paths, 18 years ago, in high school. I was holding the hand of a student with Down Syndrome, Michael, and you felt compelled to yell, “Ew, don’t let him touch you!”
I was taking a Peer-Helping course which paired “regular,” mainstream students with individuals in the developmental education class. I was accompanying Michael to the library at the other end of the school. The hallway was bristling with throngs of students rushing to get to class. Trying to navigate the hallways in between classes without being jostled was difficult for any student, let alone Michael.
In addition to having Down Syndrome, Michael had visual impairments and had difficulty with stairs. I was...
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Every year in China, more than 70% of the 40,000 foreign English teachers trek home to their families in America, Canada, and U.K. for Christmas vacation and return back to their Chinese classrooms after Chinese New Year (Spring Festival). It was no different last year in 2019, except before 2020 arrived, we were all hearing the grim news about a new medical crisis in Wuhan that came to be known as the Corona Virus Pandemic or more recently as the COVID 19 Pandemic.
When the borders subsequently closed all over the world, over 800,000 Foreign Expat teachers were treated to an extended vacation including the 25,000 from China. Now that the Chinese students have returned to their classrooms, their teachers are still locked out, and those that remained in China over the holidays now...
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Dear J,
To say my internship ended badly would be an understatement. After abandoning me from May to August and then complaining about communication from a narcissistic viewpoint is unacceptable.
You terminated a client and let them complain about me without offering a treatment team meeting.
You forced me to move my clients for another therapist due to "conflict" and jeopardized my internship hours.
You forced me to terminate a client then complained to a potential future coworker about how "poorly" I did the job. You also incessantly nagged me about doing this and I waited a very long time as I knew this would be a difficult situation that would probably not end well. I never dreamed that you'd curse about it or "vent" to another employee.
You did not keep any...
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1. Please look after your elderly pets. Find a vet practice who knows about elderly pets and who cares. Don’t be afraid to ask around. Your pet has been a member of your family for five, ten, 15 or more years or even more: don’t let them down now, when they most need your help. Find a vet who can prescribe pain relief for their arthritis, treat their medical conditions, get their teeth cleaned.
Every clinic I work at always has a ‘stray’ elderly cat that someone handed in, crippled with arthritis, has horrendous dental pain, and an untreated medical condition, and has likely wandered off due to untreated dementia, or has an owner that doesn’t want them anymore, because they are now elderly and infirm. These ‘family members’ spend their last days in a tiny cage in a vet practice,...
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Dear fellow peers,
It's not fair for you to assume those of us returning to on campus living this year do not care about the safety of others. Many of us do care. The truth is not every student has the privilege to learn safely at home. Many LGBTQ students, like myself, have to hide in the closet at home, if outed we risk homelessness. During this pandemic we can't afford to even think of taking that risk.
International students are also at risk. Leaders in our government have been pushing to force international students to return home if all their classes are online, this means some students may have to wake at 2am to make up for time diffrences between their home country and the state their college is in. This had put pressure on universities to hold in-person and/or hybrid...
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What can I say other than I’m sorry? When the year began, I walked into my classroom the same way I had many years before- with enthusiasm, excitement, anticipation, and a bit of anxiety. I started the new school year expecting it would be like every other year. We would dive into history, discussing and reviewing curriculum, breaking down historical eras, and revisiting stories that repeatedly conveyed the essence of the human spirit. Little did I know, we were about to enter our own historical chapter together and witness in actual time, not only what struggle and hardship is but also strength and perseverance.
I begin with an apology not just to you, but I’m also apologizing to myself. I am well aware that teaching is a work of heart and we dive headfirst into our daily...
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Hello, my name is Daisy Prince and I am currently being brainwashed. I am Junior at Lamar High School, one of the many apart of the Houston Independent School District. I am sure you are aware of how pertinent bias is in our society, but I am one to witness this bias daily; the bias in our education system, and in my fellow peers’ minds. I am currently in US History class, and we have not once covered the American Revolution, in any form or fashion. In fact, the class curriculum started after this, and instead of covering the founding of our country in-depth, we are covering FDR’s new deal and all new organizations.
In my 9th English class, I received a fill in the blank quiz telling me that communism would be great if blank worked. In my Theory of Knowledge class, a class required...
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Dear Universities and Colleges alike,
A lot has happened in the last few months that neither you or I could have predicted. As the semester came to an abrupt end and many of us lost our graduation, prom, and last goodbyes to our friends, I ask that you take some things into consideration moving forward.
As we move into May, I ask that you rethink your decisions of online based learning for the fall semester. I admire your dedication to our health and wellbeing but I feel as though these decisions are premature. The progression of the virus has changed immensely over the past few weeks and undoubtedly will continue to in the coming weeks. Our efforts in slowing the spread are paying off but it doesn't feel like they are. Your decision to cancel in-person learning in the fall feels...
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17 April 2020
Dear Mrs Kerr-Dineen,
First of all, we would like to express a sincere hope that this letter finds you in good health, and that you are coping with the unprecedented stress of the current situation. We would, however, like to express a few concerns regarding the assessment model which was announced on Friday morning. The concerns below may be marshalled into three categories: concerns about the structure of the exams, concerns about the effects they will have on grades and work loads, and finally, and most importantly, concerns about the mental health issues this statement has given rise to. We hope that this letter will be read in the spirit in which it was intended, and that a reply will be given at your earliest possible convenience. We also trust that the...
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