At the end of the school year, teachers try to solicit feedback from their students.... and some of it is positive. And we have such well brought-up students here that most of them make a point of thanking their teachers - but it often seems a little token, perhaps insincere.
At the weekend, however, one of my students surprised me with a very heartfelt and thoughtfully written e-mail in which he thanked me for being so open to any kind of question or topic of discussion, and said that he'd found his English class this year much more "fun and interesting" than ever before. He capped his reminiscences of our year together with the nicest compliment I've ever received: "I think you are the most adventurous teacher I've ever met." I'd be happy with that on my tombstone.
Of course, my 'teaching style' has not been so well received by everyone. What one student finds 'interesting' may baffle or bore others; what some greet as 'fun', others resent as 'frivolous', 'unfocused', or 'lacking in rigour'.
You can't win. You can only keep on trying.
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