InSanity~Normalize, Don't Stigmatize Mentall Illness.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Love Notes from 1988

In 1988, I landed my first professional gig as a Teacher's Assistant for 5th graders.Nora Sterry Elementary School in Los Angeles was, and still is, a reputable school. My mentor teacher, Mrs. Gomez, encouraged me to actively teach (though I was on the psychology, not teaching track), while insisting that the students show me respect. For a starter-job, I was very lucky!

Once, the kids goofed-off as I attempted to deliver a math lesson. None of us liked math, so I wasn't bothered by this. In her supportive manner, though, Mrs. Gomez instructed them to write me letters of apology. 

I held onto a few of these love notes.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This one is my absolute favorite; names have been changed to protect the guilty.


 Dear Miss Engle, I am sorry for being rude at mathtime, but  Kevin was threatning me. And tried to stab me with a pencil. Sincerely, Marco



I'm hoping Marco found his niche in the world of politics.

--------------------
Here's another, this one unsigned.
Mrs Engel Sory. You a good ticher for my.

Sorry, sweet one. I wish I'd helped you more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you have an old love note or two in storage. They're fun to revisit.

27 comments:

  1. LMAO! These are awesome. I love going down memory land when I find old notes. I think what was with me. LOL

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  2. I think you're a good ticher for us here in the blogosphere...Miss Robyn.

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  3. Such sweet mementos from days gone by. I think I have every note and picture my own kids and grandkids have ever given me.

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  4. I'm sure you did the best that you could with this pre- Mensa marvel.

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  5. hahaha those pencils can be deadly

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  6. I love these...so sweet
    I have love notes from 6th grade (11-12 yrs)...we girls were put in groups of 7 and had to write a few words on each other.

    One of them had written among other things..."very neat, always wears Iron clothes."

    I still have them pieces of paper. :)
    Thanks for the morning laughs, my friend...you are a great Ticher atleast with the morons you are forced to date.
    Will be back to check your Sunday snaps.

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  7. Too funny!!! So glad you kept these and I am sure you were a "grate ticher"
    Blessings, Joanne

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  8. Ha! That is so darn funny! From the mouths (and pencils) of babes...

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  9. Adorable =)

    I'd love to find out what became of Marco! :-)

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  10. I've kept all the letters that a friend and I exchanged during one summer when we were 18 (well, I've got his, I'm not sure what he did with mine). They weren't love letters - we were just friends - but we did spend the entire summer sorting out each other's love lives. Email will never replace a hand-written letter.

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  11. Those are hilarious! Yes, passing the blame - he'd make a perfect senator.

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  12. I’ve saved a few choice (loving...) letters from my kids.

    “Dear Mom,
    I’m sorry I told {insert brother’s name} to piss up a flagpole.”

    Author – age 8. He didn’t learn that expression at home – it was the first time I’d ever heard it – and was somewhat impressed. ;)

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  13. Sweet notes ticher. Somewhere I have a folder of valued papers from my youth. Thanks for the reminder to find them.

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  14. "You're a good ticher for my," seriously made me crack up Robyn. Hilarious stuff!

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  15. Dear Miss Engle,

    I have always wanted to write you a note addressing you as "Dear Miss Engle".

    I hope you don't mind!

    GB

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  16. Melissa, it's all great for moments of what-the-hell laughter.

    Chuck,
    Please visit other blogs to improve your spelling, dear. I'll also keep you back at Life by Chocolate for an extra year or two. Arrangements have been made. Enjoy your recess.
    - Miss Robyn

    MsA, you too are sentimental. It's all so precious. Isn't it?

    Stephen, thanks. Actually, there was a handful of darlings struggling to learn English as their second language, while the rest stabbed each other with #2s. I don't know about my tiching, though I never got stabbed. That's a good sign, especially in LA.

    Pat, yeah, especially when they've been freshly sharpened.

    Rek, LOL. I'm thinking I should wear Iron clothes too. It'd help keep me celibate for decades to come. Thanks for sharing.

    Joanne, thanks. I tryde.

    xoRobyn

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  17. Aww, that's adorable! I'm in college studying to become a 1st to 6th grade teacher and this made me want to start working right now so bad... :)

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  18. Pat, isn't it hilarious? I laugh every time I re-read them.

    KC, me too. I wish I remembered last names. Without that, I can't begin a search. I just hope they'll somehow land at Life by Choc. in-between (or during)Senate committee meetings.

    Annalisa, that's a sweet story. I wrote letters with ferocity too. I think a few of my former penpals still have oodles of my letters.

    Faraways, thank you.

    Alex, I really do need to track him down. It would be perfect if he ended up a politician.

    Beth, were he my kid, I'd have been somewhat impressed too. Since he's not, I'm thoroughly impressed. Thanks for making me laugh.

    Teri, it's a fun and amusing trip down memory lane. I hope you find them.

    YW, always glad to make you crack up. Thanks.

    Dear GB,
    This is the first note I've received from an ape that was properly punctuated and grammatically correct. I appreciate it and give you an A.
    -Miss Engel

    Thanks for all of your fun comments.
    xoRobyn

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  19. Those are fantastic! The threat of being stabbed with a pencil seems to be a powerful motivator. I may try it sometime.

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  20. These are classics! You were smart to hold onto them! Julie

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  21. Hmmm, let's see...any notes from 1988. Oh, yeah, I have one...
    "Dear Mr. Penwasser,
    You are scheduled to have hemorrhoid surgery on July 22. Please ensure you fast and refrain from reading the Sunday newspaper whilst on the john. Your speedy recovery can be more expeditiously enhanced by a positive attitude, cheerful disposition, and a check which clears the bank in no less than 72 hours. Here's hoping we can remove that baby's head size mass from between your cheeks with a minimum of discomfort. At least to you. I'll be cool.
    best wishes,
    Stemple Johnson, MD
    Butt Doctor"
    Shoulda been a "ticher."
    The late 80s: it was more than big hair and Miami Vice.

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  22. Ines,
    That's exciting. There's nothing like kids to keep you energized and amused. Thanks for visiting.

    Al,
    Your every comment is a work of art - never quite aesthetically pleasing art, but art nonetheless.

    John,
    I love my stew dents. xoxo

    JulieF, LOL. I remember freaking out about the threat in the days of lead poisoning scares. But pencils don't actually have lead in them, do they? Hm, I need to google this one.

    EmptyNestInsider/Julie, yeah, I'm glad I was so foolishly sentimental.

    xoRobyn

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  23. Ya know, now that I think of it, I DO need a topic for 'H' during the A-Z Challenge. You think the world is ready for "hemorrhoids"? Err, the story, not the anal affliction....
    Art. I'd like to meet him. I hear he does good work.

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  24. Haha - nice post Robyn. Good way to mix it up.

    I hope Kevin found his vocation too.. in jail... (or gaol as I think you guys spell it??)

    Thanks Ticher!

    =]

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  25. Lol! Those are so cute!! How fun. :)

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