A Completely Sincere Moment of Gratitude for That One Professor

Your class absolutely remains my highest priority in these difficult and uncertain times

By Marley Richmond

Dear Professor,

Let me genuinely thank you for your hard work and dedication in setting up online learning. I know you struggle with email, so your perseverance in making a Canvas page and creating a recurring zoom class was truly a Herculean effort. I completely understand that scanning was too significant a barrier to your teaching, so I was more than happy to mail you my midterm and receive my graded essay via the postal service as well. The sock puppet you brought to class on Monday made online learning a joy, and I am happy to say I didn’t open Twitter once during class.

Let me offer my condolences for your difficulties during this time. As you enumerated in many emails, I understand your sadness—it’s a shame that your spring break trip to Rome was canceled. I am also aware that your part-time work has dried up, and that your family is feeling rather confined in social isolation. Thank you for forwarding us the essay your nine-year-old niece wrote for her online schooling. It was riveting. Please continue to use our class time as an outlet for your worries; I am happy to stand in for your therapist as I have few concerns of my own to handle. 

I assure you that my coursework is of the utmost importance during this global pandemic. Yes, my mother is a healthcare worker, and yes, I have family in New York City. My father may lose his job, but of course, my discussion posts will continue to be thoughtful and in no way plagiarized. I take academic honesty seriously and never consult my notes during quizzes. Your refusal to modify our syllabus was a lesson in persistence, and I am thankful for the extra work you assigned to fill my near-limitless free time. What would I do without you? 

Sincerely,

A student tired of this shit