Yesterday, I visited I-Shou University. It was a trip for me to seek my identities; this was also a part of my learning task of expressing my gratitude and apologies face to face. Grace and I chatted a lot. We talked about joy, reality, and some weird phenomena in the Applied English department. It seems that most teachers have changed a lot due to the reality and their own choices. I was shocked about the speed of deterioration and corruption there; I was upset about the negative change. It was an obstacle of metabolism between generations and generations. For example, professors without contribution and enthusiasm occupy the vacancies, so the Young PhDs with passion have no opportunities to teach. The quality of education has dropped seriously. This also happens in AE. It was hardly for me to imagine that most of my teachers are getting old and changing their behaviors in this way. However, I am thankful that I am a lucky one who is blessed. At least, I knew that Grace is still the dedicated teacher I’ve known since 14 years ago.

Second, I finally expressed thank you & I love you in person to Grace. Also, I shared my reflection on becoming a teacher. I felt sorry and guilty that back in 2009, we conducted the multimedia project until 12 midnight. Besides, I frequently called her to ask for help around 11 or 11:30 pm since as a university student, I did not realize that teachers are human; teachers have to keep a work-life balance. All I thought about was that Grace told us, “If you have any questions or problems, reach out to me by 12.” I never missed any class and did turn in the assignment on time. However, I firmly believed that I am the only crazy student who had Grace work until such a late night. In the bookmarks I gave her, I did write that please do accept my apologies for my recklessness but without further explanation. I finally had time to talk to her about this matter. Actually, to set the boundary, Grace could simply turn me down with the reason that it was not the office hour and asked me to come back later. However, instead of doing so, she told me that “as your teacher, I am always here if you need any help.” Honestly, it was up until I became a classroom teacher two years ago, that I suddenly learned that I ignored Grace’s teacher boundary. This incident happened almost 15 years ago. I am glad that I had the opportunity to express my gratitude and apologies. By the way, Grace’s feedback was, ” Never think in that way. It’s teacher dedication. Students may not remember what you taught in class, but they gonna remember you and how you treat them.” Yes, I totally agree! I think this is the proudest influence that she has had on me. This is why I couldn’t refuse Allison for her late assignments and keep providing her with a second chance.

Notes for myself: Love is an echo with resonance. I became and will become a licensed teacher with passion and dedication to teaching like Grace in the near future. Cindy, remember Grace said that “It’s teacher dedication”. All you need to do is to invest in students and never think about the consequences. By the way, I think Grace needs more REST. Do NOT put too much on her plate. Allow more time and space for her. Health is the priority.