Colorful apologizes

At the beginning of 2012 (early September), I was appointed the homeroom teacher for a class of 9th graders.

I didn't know them as I was supposed to meet them only in mid-September, once the school started for kids as well. But I had a list with their names on it and I wanted to make them feel welcomed. So, using a pair of scissors and a few colourful sheets of paper, I made a row of t-shirts with their name on them and hanged them as if they were drying clothes onto the back wall of their future-to-be-classroom.

They didn't stay there for long. Soon most of them were torn apart especially by eager to show off boys or they had lots of scribbles drawn on them. Because they found the t-shirts there and they didn't work for them they took them for granted. I was upset then because they didn't know the lesson of gratitude.

Years have passed and now they are in the 12 th grade, soon to graduate.

What I tried to teach them during these years was the lesson of punctuality, respect, love for literature and honesty.

It didn't go well for all of them. Some were and are reluctant to change the way they see the world. As if the world was a back wall full of colourful t-shirts with their name on it. Forever. 

But some caught the glimpse of light that I put in their palms. You can't make all love you, can you?

Not even William Hundert (if you haven't seen The Emperor's Club (2002) now's the time to) managed to do it. 

Anyway, we had our good times but we've got also bleak ones. Like the last two weeks when I realised that repeating them that the exams are coming, stressing myself out more than they do, won't rip off the veil of laziness.  I told them that sometimes I am tired of soliloquies in a class full of daydreamers, that I can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. So I declared that we are no longer friends.

 Today was the last day of school for the first semester.
Only four students showed up out of 28. . The others were home, sleeping as they knew that the last day is just for counselling.
We went in the Art class and tried to work on a mini project. Some themed drawings.
One girl told me not to leave the school before taking a look at our classroom.
So, when I did go up to the third floor where my class is, I found these t-shirts hanging on a wall.
My eyes filled with tears.