Will casually ask him any and all questions about being a guy that he never got an answer to. Who else is he going to ask? Sada? So anyway Mr. W is it like weird that one of my boys is lower than the other? Should I get that checked out? Also, since it's the apocalypse and regular health checkups are a thing of the past should I be worried about my prostate health? Okay okay okay be for real with me, just between us, are you wearing a toupee? No--it looks really good man, I almost couldn't even tell!!
Has been trying to teach him some phrases in Tagalong. It's never a bad idea for a businessman to learn another language. It's been an uphill battle and Tad can only grin awkwardly while Mr. W butchers his pronunciation. Eh, he'll get it one day.
To be fair Mr. W probably thought the same thing when he started teaching Tad to golf. It took a few weeks before he could swing without launching pieces of the turf with his ball.
My World students had one last chance to finish their work, make revisions, etc... while we ate donuts and cookies. Then I thanked them for the year, and that was that.Â
I spent an hour or so after lunch cleaning up my room, and helping Mr. W pack his (because he’s leaving teaching to become a therapist, which is a loss for us but a gain for everyone else). Then Mr. B and I, in our capacity as union president and building rep, respectively, had a meeting with The Principal to discuss some proposed changes to the school day schedule, and make sure they’re in line with our contracts, etc...Â
And then I got in the car and drove south to my dad’s house, where my brother and his family have been for the last couple days. Longtime readers know he’s in the army, and between that and the pandemic, we hadn’t seen each other since Christmas 2018. We typically aren’t allowed to take personal days after Memorial Day, but The Superintendent let me take mine, given the circumstances (and the fact that the blocks scheduled for the next two days are the ones when I had seniors, so I wouldn’t have been teaching anyhow).
I’ll have more to write about the end of the year on Friday, which is truly the last day, but for now I’m going to enjoy time with my family!
The setting was trade school, most of us past typical bachelors degree age. My instructor was not much older than me, and distractingly happened to be the sweetest little soul within a lanky body and a dimpled face and the kind eyes of a teacher who made sure every single student understood the material before even attempting to move on. At first it irked me to move so slowly but soon I admired it. And fell slightly in love the way one can’t help but do with this type of teacher.
During a lull, back from the lab in a classroom, he pulled the collar of his shirt up over his nose and winced into a sneeze that was sharp but almost cough-like and reminiscent of the sawdust we spent hours inhaling, “AhISHH!”
A chorus of blessings from an attentive class, my own half-whispered and stupidly bashful. I typically sat in one of the front two rows and I must have looked visibly shaken for he addressed me by name and asked “all good?”
I had to meet his eyes and nod as if indeed I was all good, when in fact I was staring at grid paper and silently imploding.
currently thinking about students coming out to mr. w and how safe he makes them feel <3 anyway hello!! how are you today? :)) — 🍯
ive been REALLY busy but other than that, i’m doing pretty well!! thank you. i hope you’re doing well, too :)
thanks for inspiring this!Â
if i said anything wrong or outdated, please correct me. and as always, i apologize if there are typos lol.
---
“Hey, Mr. W?” you ask, poking your head through the classroom door.Â
The English teacher looks up from the neatly stacked papers on his desk. “Oh, hello!”Â
“This is your free period, right?”Â
“Yes, that is correct.”Â
“Can I talk to you?” you wonder, and you force a smile in an attempt to hide your nerves. “Just for a second.”Â
“Of course,” Mr. W says. His eyes are wide and concerned. You love him like you’ve never loved a teacher in your life, and you are fucking terrified.Â
“It’s not... that important.” Except that it is, it is, and you’ve heard from upperclassmen that you hang around sometimes that Mr. W isn’t just cool but the coolest and that he’s fine with your friend who’s gay and this boy that you know of in the senior class who has two girlfriends that are also dating each other, but you wonder if this time it might be different, because this time it’s not about girlfriends or a boyfriend but about... you.Â
“If it is important to you,” he tells you seriously, “then it is important to me.”Â
You nod and allow yourself to drop the fake smile.Â
“Are you alright?”Â
You nod again, this time at the floor.Â
“It is perfectly normal if you are not.”Â
Something about the way that he says it, the genuineness in his voice, maybe, or about the way that you can literally hear how much he cares about you, makes you look back up at him. “I’ve only told one person,” you murmur.Â
“You may share anything with me.”Â
And he means it so much! God! He means it so much that it hurts. I wish you were my dad, you catch yourself thinking for the millionth time, but you reel yourself back in and take a deep breath. “Do you know about trans people?” you ask quietly, and for some reason, your eyes flood with tears.Â
You haven’t said anything yet, not really, but the words are out there now. They exist. He could connect the dots, he could scream at you, he could kick you out and tell you that you’re disgusting, he could-Â
“Yes.”Â
You can’t help but peek up at him. He’s still calm, but he only looks more concerned. When your eyes meet his, he slowly gets up from his desk and walks around toward you. You feel fear again, but he doesn’t touch you.Â
“Please, have a seat,” he directs, motioning to the two desks closest to where you’re standing. You take a few steps over and drop into one. He sits down in the one beside it.Â
You stare at the floor again, but this time, the words really aren’t coming.Â
“Are...” Mr. W begins, but then he stops. He’s silent for a moment, and then he gently inquires, “Am I in the company of a trans person right now?”Â
In a split second, you’re half laughing and half crying. You nod, and you’re still scared, but you’re also thankful that he’s given you a pass. You get to skip the words this time. Telling your best friend had been a little easier, so you’re glad that Mr. W figured out a method of coaxing the information from you.Â
Mr. W’s hand reaches forward. He sets it on your desk, not on you, and he says with a slightly wobbly voice, “I have always cared for you very much. That does not change now.”Â
You decide to look up at him then, and you find his eyes swimming with tears.Â
“You are safe here, and you are welcome here,” he continues. “And I am honored that you have chosen to share this information with me.”Â
You lean forward and throw your arms around him. He returns the hug, and you feel what he promised. Welcome. Safe.Â
I love you, you want so badly to say, but instead you tell him, “You’re my favorite teacher ever.”Â
He laughs the littlest bit, but he doesn’t pull back. “You are special to me as well.”Â
The two of you stay connected for a little while longer. Then you retract your arms so you can wipe your eyes. “Sorry,” you say, but you only kind of mean it.Â
He shakes his head and dries his own tears. “No, please do not be.” He motions to his face. “I am sorry; I often cry when others do. Please do not believe that I am upset with you.”Â
“No, I know,” you respond. His emotional reaction had clearly been rooted in empathy, not disappointment. “So, um...” There’s more that you want to tell him, but you don’t know how.Â
He seems to understand. “Should I continue referring to you by your name?”Â
“In class, yeah.”Â
“Do you have a different name that you prefer?” he asks.Â
You tell him, and he nods.Â
“If I pass by you and we are the only two present...?”
“You can use it then, yeah.”Â
He smiles, and it’s warm. “Very well. And your pronouns?”Â
“Changed, yeah. Um... kind of the same situation, though.”Â
“I understand.”Â
“I just don’t want it getting out, you know? People here can be...”Â
Mr. W makes a face, something you’ve only ever seen him do once or twice, and it makes you laugh. Suddenly, you feel a whole lot better, and you realize that there’s a thick tangle of relief and happiness in your heart. “Thank you,” you blurt. “That went way better than I could have hoped.”Â
He looks a little bit sad then, and he repeats, “You may tell me anything. Truly.”Â
“I know; that’s why I’m here.” You glance at the clock, sigh softly, and stand up. “But, um, I’m gonna be late to history, so-”
“I will write a pass for you,” he nods, getting to his feet as well. He goes to his desk drawer for a pad of sticky notes, and you pull your backpack onto your shoulders. While he scribbles a brief message to Mrs. Anderson, you smile a little to yourself. He knows your chosen name, and he knows your pronouns, and he’s fine with them. And he’ll even help you blend in during school. Yeah, he’s the coolest teacher ever.Â
“Alright, here you are,” Mr. W says, and he peels the Post-It off and hands it to you.Â
“Thanks.” You hold up the note but then motion to the desk chairs. “Like, for everything.”Â
He smiles. “You are welcome.”Â
As you head for the door, you call, “Bye! See you in a couple periods.”Â
He bids you goodbye as well, and when he does, he calls you by your chosen name.Â
Parker, this is Mr. Wigington from Lakeview High (Mr. W). I was told that you have completed your book, and I wanted to let you know how pleased I was to hear that. I hope that it was enjoyable, but if not, I wish that your next one will be considerably more so. Have a wonderful day, and please let me know if I may ever be of assistance to you in your literature endeavors. Yours most sincerely, Mr. W
Hello Mr. W!
So sorry for the late reply, I had an incident involving my cat and a bunch of craft beads.
I have indeed finished my book! I personally thought it was very good, however a bit scary at times. It's called "the love interest" and written by Cale Dietrich. It's sci-fi and gay, you may have a student who would appreciate it.
I have to wait until Monday to return it to the school library, so if you have any lgbtq+ book recommendations you can think of before then, I'd love to hear them!
Thank you again Mr. W. I hope your day is lovely as well.
