Teacher Turned Fangirl

Uncool. That's Me.

I think it happens to most writing teachers who’ve been at the job for a while: they come across a student whose work is brilliant, gifted, daunting. A wunderkind.

This year, I have such a student. Her last piece, read in class, over Zoom, reduced me to pure gush.

“Wow. I mean, just wow.” These were my exact words. This was not the measured, evaluative response of a professional, which should have included something about her vivid imagery, character development, pacing, etc. As I effused, I was also aware, on some level, that I should mention technical stuff. But when I am gob-smacked, I turn into Gomer Pyle.

Though sometimes I wish I were cooler, I also know I can’t help myself. I’ve never been able to pull off restraint in the face of work that astonishes me. I become a small-town tourist in a big city, head back, mouth agape, and all I can think about is how lucky I am- reverent, really- to be here, in this moment, to appreciate it.