My first students

They were the very first class of students I was assigned to teach. I was 24, fresh out of teacher training and petrified to death of what to expect in a real school; they were 17, eager, wonderful and till today, the students I have the fondest memories of. The class of 2A11, 2001.

By some quirk of fate, Jude and I ended up chatting online with a couple of them over the weekend and in a matter of minutes (I kid you not), I think half the class had our blog address (you can see for yourselves on the tag-board) and our Messenger contacts as well. And that's the thing I love most about this group of students (no, not that they all have stalker tendencies...), that though it's been four years since they've graduated from junior college, and some of them are actually studying in Perth, a group of them are as close as ever- they host blogs together, plan trips together, hang out all the time together- basically continue to revolve their lives around the friends they made those wonderful four years ago. And in some small way, during the two years they were in junior college, they let me into that circle. We celebrated birthdays, had dinners, played bridge (ok, THEY tried to teach ME to play bridge), exchanged presents, confided secrets, plotted diabolical schemes to overthrow the school administration, watched each other fall in love, fall out of love, stay in love (you know who you are...), and all the mindless but meaningful things you only do with people you trust and love. I wasn't just their teacher, I was also someone with whom they celebrated their youth, exuberance, infectious good humor and cheer.

They were also there when Jude and I first started going out. Oh they were very perceptive, and very very clever. They were no nuclear physicists but they were teenagers- biologically programmed to sniff out a budding romance (both their own and someone else's) a mile away. Jude taught them Shakespeare and I was their General Paper teacher, and it wasn't too long before they collectively cornered us in school and interrogated Jude on his intentions to make an honest woman out of me. Two years later, we invited them to our wedding. And they came. Even the ones in Perth made special arrangements to fly back early for the ceremony.

These kids will always have a special place in my heart. They made me believe I could be a good teacher. I hope I was a good teacher to them. And a good friend too.